Suvendu flags rise in population in border districts, illegal influx
The Statesman | 10 October 2025Addressing a press conference at the state BJP headquarters on Muralidhar Sen Lane, Mr Adhikari expressed concern over the rising population in border districts, which he claimed was the result of “unchecked infiltration of Bangladeshi Muslims and Rohingyas” due to the state government’s alleged failure to secure the borders. He said that while genuine Hindu refugees, fleeing religious persecution in Bangladesh, would be granted citizenship under the Centre’s policy, the influx of illegal migrants posed a serious demographic threat.
Citing figures to substantiate his claim, Mr Adhikari pointed out that the number of voters had grown abnormally in several constituencies – by 30 per cent in Domkal, 28 per cent in Jalangi and 28 per cent in Rajarhat-New Town – against a national average growth of just seven per cent. He urged the Election Commission to ensure the SIR process was completed properly before any election was held and demanded adequate protection for block level officers (BLOs) engaged in the revision work. Taking a dig at chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Mr Adhikari accused her of neglecting relief and welfare work while focusing on “carnivals and self-promotion.”
He also criticised her for being “insensitive” towards recent incidents of political violence, including the attack on BJP MP Khagen Murmu and MLA Shankar Ghosh. Referring to the situation in north Bengal, Mr Adhikari alleged that illegal sand mining, aided by local Trinamul leaders, was altering river courses and rendering large areas uninhabitable. He urged the chief minister to immediately allot land for flood victims and visit the affected regions instead of “treating her northern tours as festive outings.” He further claimed that around 16 lakh duplicate voter names and 13 lakh cancelled Aadhaar-linked IDs must be deleted to ensure a free and fair election.
“The chief minister is misleading Muslim voters by equating SIR with NRC,” Mr Adhikari said, adding that no Indian Muslim or Christian would lose voting rights under the ongoing revision.
