Sarma calls West Bengal 'weak link' in fight against infiltration, seeks NRC-like document

Guwahati, Dec 13: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has criticized the West Bengal government for its failure to adopt stringent measures and proactive initiatives to curb infiltration along its border areas.

Sarma called for a document similar to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to distinguish Indian citizens from infiltrators. Speaking to the media, he described West Bengal as a “weak link” in the nationwide campaign against illegal infiltration.

“Every day, illegal infiltrators entering India through Tripura or Assam are apprehended by the BSF and security personnel. If you check my Facebook and Twitter posts, you will see that we are catching six to seven illegal infiltrators daily,” Sarma said. “However, unless this infiltration is stopped in West Bengal, the issue will persist and spread across the country.”

He emphasized the urgency of introducing an NRC-like document but noted, “How and when this will be implemented is a different matter.”

The final NRC, published on August 31, 2019, included 3.11 crore names out of a total of 3.30 crore applicants, excluding over 19 lakh applicants.

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