Dilip vows to drive out Bangla immigrants

SANDIP CHOWDHURY AND SUBHASISH CHAUDHURI, TT, Jul 31, 2018 Calcutta/Nadia: The BJP on Monday vowed to conduct an Assam-like exercise in Bengal to "throw out by the scruff of the neck" Bangladeshi immigrants who, according to the party, numbered over one crore should it come to power in the state. 

"If we come to power in Bengal, we will carry out an NRC update in the state too and throw out more than one crore Bangladeshi immigrants by the scruff of the neck and those supporting their cause. Tough times are ahead, pack your bags and get ready to leave India," said BJP Bengal president Dilip Ghosh.

The BJP's national general-secretary, Kailash Vijayvargiya, accused Mamata of robbing Bengal's youth of employment opportunities by allegedly allowing Bangladeshi infiltrators to settle in the state.

"Bangladeshi criminals are operating rackets from Bengal. They settled here and are involved in terrorist activities. They have become permanent residents in Bengal, rendering the youth here unemployed. It is unfortunate that our permanent residents have no jobs here because Bangladeshis are taking away their jobs... All because Bangladeshis are now Mamata Banerjee's vote-bank. Should we allow Bangladeshi infiltrators to stay here?" asked Vijayvargiya.

He was addressing a public meeting in Nadia's Bethuadahari. "Such infiltration is a big problem for the rest of us. But if Mamata Banerjee continues to provide shelter to the infiltrators, the youths will never forgive her," the BJP leader said.

Trinamul general-secretary and urban development minister Firhad Hakim said the BJP's vow to replicate the Assam exercise in Bengal would remain a pipe dream as people would never vote it to power.

The leader of the Opposition in the Bengal Assembly, Abdul Mannan of the Congress, and Left legislature party leader Sujan Chakraborty, too, condemned the BJP's statements.