Prominent BJP figure Shazia Ilmi has ignited a political firestorm by directly implicating West Bengal’s ruling dispensation in shielding illegal entrants from across the border. Addressing a packed audience in Howrah, Ilmi painted a grim picture of Mamata Banerjee’s ‘open-door’ policy that’s allegedly turning Bengal into a haven for infiltrators.
With meticulous evidence from RTI responses and NGO surveys, Ilmi quantified the scale: lakhs of undocumented migrants integrated into society via fraudulent documents. She spotlighted the plight of indigenous communities in South 24 Parganas, evicted and marginalized by this influx. ‘This is state-sponsored infiltration,’ Ilmi asserted, decrying the misuse of welfare programs to buy loyalty.
Ilmi traced the roots to Mamata’s electoral calculus, where infiltrators are seen as a reliable voting bloc. She lambasted the silence of human rights groups and demanded judicial intervention to safeguard citizens’ rights. Proposing a multi-pronged solution—fortified borders, NRC, and CAA—she rallied support for PM Modi’s vision.
As TMC scrambles to defend its record, Ilmi’s narrative resonates with border residents weary of insecurity. Analysts predict this issue could swing key constituencies, thrusting immigration to the forefront of Bengal’s discourse.
In a concluding note, Ilmi urged unity: ‘Bengal’s tryst with destiny cannot be hijacked by outsiders under political patronage.’ Her words echo far beyond party lines, signaling a pivotal moment in the state’s turbulent politics.