CM Banerjee warns against ‘high-handedness’ at border, says Indians being ‘pushed’ into Bangladesh

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday reiterated that Indians were being “pushed” into Bangladesh on claims of being undocumented immigrants and warned against “high-handedness” being shown at the India-Bangladesh border, The Indian Express reported.

Banerjee was referring to the actions of the Border Security Force, The Times of India reported. The force reports to the Union home ministry.

The Trinamool Congress chief’s remark came as thousands of Bengali-speaking migrant workers have been rounded up in states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party since May and asked to prove that they are Indian citizens and not undocumented immigrants.

In several cases, workers have been declared foreigners within days and forced into Bangladesh, despite being Indian citizens.

Addressing an administrative meeting in Cooch Behar district on Monday, Banerjee asked what the state police was doing when persons, alleged to be foreigners, were being “pushed” into Bangladesh, The Times of India reported.

She asked the police “not to be so timid” and urged the personnel to “be a little proactive”.

Banerjee also directed them to conduct proper checkpoint inspections and said that patrolling using police vans had reduced.

“Earlier, a police van used to patrol an area three or four times,” she said. “Can’t see this now.”

Patrolling should be done at day and night, she added.

Noting that Cooch Behar is near Bangladesh, Banerjee said that the law and order must be maintained at the border.

“No high-handedness will be tolerated,” the newspaper quoted the Trinamool Congress chief as saying. “One is not a Bangladeshi if they speak Bengali. Bangladesh is a country and West Bengal is a state…Residents of Bengal are being harassed.”

Banerjee has repeatedly accused the BJP of unleashing “linguistic terrorism” against Bengali speakers.

On Monday, the chief minister said that no agency from another state can arrest anyone in West Bengal without due process, The Indian Express reported.

“If anyone is named as accused [in a case], it should be investigated,” the newspaper quoted the chief minister as saying. “Some people from Assam were sent notices under foreign laws.”

Cooperate with BLOs during SIR, Banerjee tells departments

Banerjee also urged all departments in the state to cooperate with booth-level officers during the special intensive revision of the electoral rolls, the newspaper reported.

She instructed the district magistrates to ensure proper inclusion of names.

“Many names are not being included properly,” The Indian Express quoted Banerjee as saying on Monday. “Many people are married outside [Bengal]. There are also issues faced by migrant workers.”

She urged residents to carry necessary documents when called for voter roll revision hearings.

The revision exercise is underway in 12 states and Union Territories, including in West Bengal. Booth-level officers began distributing enumeration forms on November 4. The final electoral rolls are to be published on February 14.

In November, Scroll reported that the revision exercise has spread panic in West Bengal because exclusion from the voter roll is being perceived as a step towards losing citizenship.

West Bengal is expected to head for Assembly elections in the first half of 2026.

Amid the exercise, at least eight suicides by booth-level officers and at least seven deaths have also been reported in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Rajasthan due to alleged work pressure.

Noting these deaths, Banerjee said on Monday that the revision of voter rolls earlier had been completed in two years.

“Now it is being completed within two months,” The Indian Express quoted her as saying. “How can it be possible? They [BJP] are doing whatever they want.”

Booth-level officers are typically primary school teachers and anganwadi, or health care workers, who are employed by state governments. They are responsible for distributing and collecting enumeration forms as part of the ongoing exercise.

They are required to go door-to-door, check the identities of new voters and verify the details of those who have died or permanently moved out of an area.

Also read: I struggled to fill SIR forms. BLOs have it much worse