This is an archive article published on January 5, 2025

‘Deeply painful to see valiant soldiers being insulted’: Suvendu Adhikari slams Mamata’s BSF statement

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has accused the Border Security Force of letting in illegal migrants from Bangladesh so that the state government could be blamed for infiltration.

Adhikari said that attacking security forces represented the nadir of political conduct. (Express photo)

3 min readKolkataJan 5, 2025 04:20 PM IST First published on: Jan 5, 2025 at 04:19 PM IST

West Bengal Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari wrote an open letter on Sunday criticising Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for accusing the Border Security Force of allowing infiltration from Bangladesh.

In his letter, Adhikari said the chief minister’s statement was an insult to the forces guarding the borders. “Allegations and counter-allegations indeed occur in politics. But dragging security forces into it, insulting them and passing the buck for your failures to them is nothing but substandard politics. This is an insult to the 75,000 personnel of the CAPFs, 33,000 BSF personnel in Bengal and all the soldiers of the nation,” the BJP leader wrote.

Adhikari said that attacking security forces represented the nadir of political conduct. “The security forces serve the nation, not the government. They are the protectors of the nation. The way you have blamed our soldiers for the infiltration happening in West Bengal in the last few days displays the lowest level of your politics,” he wrote.

Adhikari described the challenges faced by the forces due to the country’s geography, noting that despite the inaccessibility caused by forests, swollen rivers, and snow-covered mountains, the forces risked their lives to protect the borders. “It is deeply painful to see our valiant soldiers being insulted. Our security forces risk their lives to protect the borders of our nation and the citizens, regardless of whether it is shivering cold, searing heat, tempestuous rain or a disaster. The nation will never forget your insulting words about our soldiers,” he added.

Adhikari said the state government’s lack of cooperation with the BSF on border-related subjects was a crucial matter. “When these infiltrators come to a village, then why do the patwaris make their identity cards? How do they get their ration cards made? How do the police and other officials verify them as bona fide citizens and issue their identity cards?” he questioned.

On Thursday, Banerjee said, “If anyone thinks they can intrude into Bengal and malign the Trinamool, let them be warned that the Trinamool does not do these things. Don’t abuse Trinamool by supporting the wrongdoings of the BSF.”

Last week, Adhikari accused the state government of hindering efforts to secure land for constructing BSF outposts and other vital infrastructure along the Bangladesh border, thus endangering national security. “The West Bengal government is obstructing the land acquisition process to build border outposts and fences to secure the border. While the central government is willing to bear all expenses, the state government is deliberately not providing the land,” he said at a press conference in Kolkata.