Demography in Bengal’s border areas changing due to infiltration: Modi

Modi claimed that TMC government in the state was giving away the rights of "original" OBCs to Muslims by issuing false caste certificates.

ByPTI

Published May 29, 2024 | 4:53 PM Updated May 29, 2024 | 4:53 PM

Narendra Modi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, 29 May, alleged that demography in the bordering areas of West Bengal is changing because of infiltration while illegal entrants are snatching away the opportunities meant for local youths.

Modi also claimed that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in the state was giving away the rights of “original” OBCs to Muslims by issuing false caste certificates.

He said, “The demography in the bordering areas of Bengal is being changed. The TMC is against giving citizenship to religiously persecuted minorities. Why are they opposing the CAA so much? Why are these people (TMC leaders) lying about the CAA?”

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Accuses TMC

The prime minister alleged that the TMC has indulged in the politics of appeasement so that illegal infiltrators could settle in Bengal.

He asserted that the Matua community members would get Indian citizenship with all the respect that’s due to them.

The TMC does not want the Hindus and Matuas to stay in Bengal, Modi alleged while addressing his last election rally in the state in this election at Kakdwip.

“To appease a section of the society, the TMC government is openly attacking the Constitution, which has given reservations to Dalits and backward castes. Reservations were looted in West Bengal and false OBC certificates were issued to Muslims,” Modi said.

He referred to the 22 May Calcutta High Court order that struck down the Other Backward Classes (OBC) status of several classes in West Bengal granted since 2010, finding such reservations to vacancies in services and posts in the state are illegal.

“But the TMC cannot accept this verdict. They are misguiding Muslims by spreading wrong information regarding the court’s verdict. Just imagine to what end they can go for appeasement,” Modi added.

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‘Infiltrators snatching away opportunities’

“Today, infiltrators are snatching away the opportunities provided for the youths. They are encroaching on your properties and land and the entire country is worried about that,” he said.

After counting votes on 4 June, these TMC people will run out of steam, the prime minister claimed.

Modi attacked the TMC, accusing it of preventing the implementation of central schemes for fishermen, and other programmes such as Ujjwala Yojana and Ayushman Bharat.

He also accused the TMC government of compromising national security by allowing unchecked infiltration in West Bengal from across its borders.

“TMC and INDIA bloc are pushing West Bengal in the opposite direction of development. Trinamool Congress even takes cut money from PM Awas and mid-day meal projects,” he alleged.

He charged “TMC goons” of attacking Bharat Sevashram Sangha and Ramakrishna Mission establishments in the state.

“To enforce ‘Viksit Bharat’, we need a ‘Viksit Bengal’,” he said.

(Disclaimer: The headline, subheads, and intro of this report along with the photos may have been reworked by South First. The rest of the content is from a syndicated feed, and has been edited for style.)