Adhikari claimed many alleged illegal Bangladeshi nationals had gathered at a border checkpoint in North 24 Parganas awaiting deportation.
His remarks come amid the state’s move to set up holding centres and his push for a “detect, delete and deport” policy.
West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday claimed that a large number of alleged illegal Bangladeshi nationals had gathered at the Hakimpur checkpoint in the Basirhat subdivision of North 24 Parganas district and called for their deportation to be expedited.
Addressing reporters after an administrative meeting in Kalyani attended by officials from Nadia, Hooghly and North 24 Parganas districts, Adhikari alleged that those assembled at the border point were willing to return to Bangladesh.
"We do not want to feed them in jails or waste public money on them. This is actually harming the Indians, especially in West Bengal. The law was there, but was not utilised by a few people for vote bank. We will go beyond vote bank and implement this for the sake of the country and the state," he said.
His remarks came amid the state government's efforts to establish holding centres across districts for "apprehended foreigners" and "released foreign prisoners". The facilities are intended to accommodate such individuals until deportation procedures are completed.
While the move has been presented as an administrative measure in line with central government guidelines, it follows Adhikari’s recent push for stricter action against alleged illegal immigration. Days earlier, he had announced what he described as a "detect, delete and deport" policy aimed at identifying undocumented Bangladeshi nationals and facilitating their return across the border.
(with PTI inputs)
