BJP MP's remark on ‘removing border fences’ with Bangladesh sparks row in West Bengal

Amidst ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal, remarks by West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Jagannath Sarkar on removing border fences and becoming one with Bangladesh has sparked a fresh controversy.

In a video that has gone viral on social media, the Ranaghat MP can be heard saying that if the BJP wins the elections, then there will be no border fence with Bangladesh.

“ We promise that if we win elections this time, the barbed wire fence separating us from Bangladesh will no longer remain. We were one ( in the past) and in future ( both the nations) will become one,” Mr. Sarkar is heard saying in the video.

The Trinamool Congress leadership has said that if the BJP truly believes in the nation’s integrity, then the party should take action against the MP. 

“The hypocrisy of the BJP leadership has fallen to new depths. @BJP4India MP from Ranaghat, Jagannath Sarkar declares that if the BJP comes to power, there will be no borders between India and Bangladesh- both nations will become ONE again! On the other hand, the same BJP government including @hmoindia Amit Shah keeps blaming the West Bengal government for not giving land to “protect” the very borders their own mp wants to erase!,” Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee posted on social media. The silence of the BJP will only indicate that he spoke with the full consent of top leadership. Mr Banerjee added.

The two term BJP MP made the remarks at a village in Krishnaganj block on October 30 when he was addressing a group of party workers. The majority of the electorate from the constituency are Matuas, a sect of Dalit Hindus who have migrated from Bangladesh.

The remark assumes significance as the entire argument of the BJP behind supporting SIR in West Bengal is that the voter list of the State is full of “infiltrators” from Bangladesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Home Minister have on a number of occasions described ‘infiltration’ as the biggest challenge before the nation.

Over the past few days, the Trinamool Congress general secretary has raised questions as to why SIR was not conducted in any State bordering Bangladesh except West Bengal.

Addressing party workers on Friday in a virtual meet, Mr. Banerjee said that if the BJP was serious about finding infiltrators, as they say they should have carried out SIR in Assam, Meghalaya or Tripura, then the exercise was nothing but a “political operation aimed at deleting genuine voters”.