BJP MP Criticizes TMC Over Illegal Immigration in West Bengal

On Wednesday, Nishikant Dubey, a Member of Parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), launched a strong critique against the Trinamool Congress (TMC), alleging that illegal Bangladeshi immigrants have tarnished West Bengal's identity. He asserted that the BJP is the only party capable of expelling these immigrants if they come to power. Speaking to a news outlet, Dubey claimed that the cultural heritage of notable Bengali figures such as Maharishi Aurobindo and Syama Prasad Mukherjee has been eroded by the TMC over the past 15 years. He emphasized the need to restore Bengal's identity, stating that it should be returned to its rightful Bengali inhabitants. Currently, he argued, Bengal is under the influence of Bangladeshis. Figures like Maharishi Aurobindo, Raj Narayan Bose, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Syama Prasad Mukherjee, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, and Bidhan Chandra Roy have all seen their legacies diminished by the TMC's governance.

Dubey further accused the current administration of allowing Bangladeshi immigrants to become a new face of this heritage. He stated that if the BJP comes to power, these so-called immigrants will be removed. He connected the root of the current demographic challenges to the Nehru-Liaquat Agreement of 1950, which he claimed altered the demographics of Bengal, Assam, and Tripura. The agreement, made on April 8, 1950, led to significant demographic shifts, with India becoming a secular nation while Pakistan and Bangladesh turned into Islamic states, resulting in an influx of Bangladeshi Muslims into India. He reiterated that the BJP is committed to restoring this identity, asserting that the party is the only viable option for removing Bangladeshi immigrants. According to him, the total number of voters stands at 70,459,284 (7.04 crore), excluding names under consideration. Before the SIR process, this number was 76,637,529 (7.66 crore), indicating a change of over 6.1 million names in the voter list. The TMC has claimed that out of the 6 million voters under consideration, 2.7 million names have been removed.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee submitted her nomination for the Bhabanipur assembly constituency for the 2026 elections at the Survey Bhavan on Wednesday. She is set to contest from Bhabanipur, where she will face BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, once again.