The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, led by state president Samik Bhattacharya, has accused illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and Rohingyas of depriving Indian citizens, particularly Bengalis working outside the state, of their livelihoods. Addressing a press conference in Kolkata on Sunday, Bhattacharya alleged that these immigrants, using fake identity cards, are infiltrating job markets, posing a threat to internal security. He assured that Indian Muslims and Hindu refugees from Bangladesh due to persecution are safe under the BJP’s governance.

Bhattacharya criticized the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, claiming it fears the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls will expose fake voters, as seen in Bihar. He highlighted “radicalisation” in border districts, linking it to recent political upheavals in Bangladesh and the reactivation of banned organizations, particularly in north Bengal. He noted that several states, both BJP and non-BJP ruled, are now verifying migrant laborers from West Bengal, with some apprehended individuals admitting to being Bangladeshis with fraudulent IDs.

Defending Delhi Police’s actions, Bhattacharya pointed to a TMC-posted letter on X, where a Delhi police station sought a translator for the “Bangladeshi national language,” following the arrest of eight suspected illegal immigrants. He emphasized the distinct dialect differences between Bengali spoken in West Bengal and Bangladesh. Bhattacharya also accused the TMC of orchestrating attacks on BJP workers and even its own cadre, citing intra-party factional violence and murders, with victims’ families demanding CBI probes due to distrust in the state administration.

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On the slow pace of CBI investigations, Bhattacharya expressed dissatisfaction but urged for faster progress. He referenced TMC MP Kirti Azad’s withdrawn demand for a CBI and ED probe into illegal mining, noting that BJP MPs will meet Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Monday to push for action. Regarding the upcoming protest march on August 9, marking the anniversary of the RG Kar Medical College doctor’s rape and murder, Bhattacharya said BJP workers will join as individuals for this “social cause” without displaying party symbols, respecting the parents’ call for justice while noting the CBI’s ongoing probe into an alleged conspiracy.

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