Hedayettulah Khan Calls BJP’s Bangladesh Infiltration Claim In Ghatsila ‘Ridiculous’

Jharkhand Minority Commission Chairman and JMM leader Hedayettulah Khan on Sunday dismissed the BJP’s claims of Bangladeshi infiltration in Ghatsila as “ridiculous,” questioning the logic behind raising such an issue in a constituency that shares no international border.

Campaigning for JMM candidate Somesh Chandra Soren, Khan mocked the BJP, saying the party “seemed to have forgotten the geography of the country” while constantly renaming places. “Ghatsila shares no international border. How can Bangladeshis sneak into here? Guarding international borders is the Centre’s responsibility. Why didn’t it initiate steps against infiltrators during the last 11 years?” he asked, according to PTI.

Referring to the State Infiltrator Register (SIR), Khan alleged that both the Election Commission and the BJP had previously “made hue and cry” over the issue in Bihar, but “the outcome was – only 300 Nepalis and Bangladeshi Hindus were detected as foreigners in the process.”

Expressing confidence in the JMM’s prospects, Khan said, “We will win the by-poll because Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his wife-MLA Kalpana Soren are Jadugar (magician) and bazigar (juggler).” He added that the ruling alliance was contesting the election unitedly and maintained that former chief minister Champai Soren “cannot influence the electorate of Ghatsila.”

The Ghatsila by-poll was necessitated following the death of JMM MLA and state education minister Ramdas Soren. The BJP-led NDA has fielded Champai Soren’s son, Babulal Soren—who lost to Ramdas Soren in the 2024 Assembly polls—while the JMM-led coalition has nominated Ramdas Soren’s son, Somesh Chandra Soren, PTI reported.

(With inputs from PTI)