The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday demanded that the Hemant Soren-led government immediately establish detention centres in Jharkhand’s border districts to identify and detain alleged illegal infiltrators.
Addressing the media, BJP state spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo said the recent move by the Union Home Ministry to constitute a high-level committee under former Supreme Court judge Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar for identifying and taking action against illegal infiltrators was an important step towards safeguarding national security.
He said the Centre has made it clear that illegal infiltration poses a threat to the country’s internal security and demographic balance, particularly affecting the social and cultural fabric of tribal communities in border regions.
Deo alleged that Jharkhand’s bordering districts, including Pakur, Jamtara, Dumka and Sahibganj, have long been affected by alleged illegal Bangladeshi infiltration. He claimed that with increasing action against infiltrators in neighbouring West Bengal, many of them could shift towards Jharkhand.
The BJP leader further alleged that Jharkhand was gradually becoming a “safe zone” for illegal infiltrators due to what he termed as the “soft approach” of the state government.
Also read: Illegal immigrants at BSF checkpoints await crossing to B’desh
He also accused the Hemant Soren-government of pursuing appeasement politics, claiming that infiltrators believe they could receive political protection in the state.
Referring to census data between 1951 and 2011, Deo claimed that the tribal population in the Santhal Pargana region had declined by 16 per cent, while the Muslim population had increased by 14 per cent during the same period. He expressed concern that any migration from West Bengal could further impact the demographic structure of the region.
The BJP spokesperson demanded that the state government launch a special verification drive in border districts and issue clear instructions to all district magistrates for identifying suspected foreign nationals under provisions of the Foreigners Act.
He said the issue was not limited to law and order alone, but was also linked to Jharkhand’s social structure, employment opportunities, local resources and national security. He added that the BJP would continue to raise the matter as a public issue across the state.
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