Siliguri: Marking the completion of 100 days of the BJP-led government in West Bengal, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a blistering attack on former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly compromising national security by delaying land acquisitions for border fencing. Speaking at the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Frontier Headquarters in Siliguri on Friday, Shah praised current Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for his proactive approach in addressing the Centre’s security requirements.
During the event, Shah laid the foundation stones for several key border security projects and inaugurated infrastructure worth ₹189 crore for the SSB. Emphasising the strategic importance of the Siliguri Corridor, also known as the “Chicken’s Neck,” Shah noted that the Centre had repeatedly requested 560 acres to secure the highly sensitive zone.
“I had been asking for 1,129 acres of land to strengthen border security since 2014. We were tired of pleading with Mamata Banerjee, but she didn’t hand over the land,” Shah stated. “Once I even went to her office and said, ‘Please give the land for India’s security. It is not for the BJP’. She said yes but never gave the land till her exit.”
Contrasting the previous Trinamool Congress regime with the current administration, the Home Minister lauded Adhikari’s swift administrative actions. “Ever since Adhikari came to power, we have received whatever we required to enhance our border security. The state’s approvals for projects are now received even before formal letters are sent. Often, permission comes with just a phone call,” Shah said.
Shah also pointed out that Banerjee had historically skipped events hosted by central paramilitary forces like the SSB and Border Security Force (BSF), despite receiving invitations. He thanked Adhikari for breaking that trend and prioritizing the nation’s security from day one.
Shifting his focus to law and order, Shah inaugurated an exhibition on the newly implemented Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Kawakhali Maidan. He asserted that the new criminal justice framework had replaced the “environment of fear” prevalent during the TMC rule with a system built on trust, sounding the death knell for extortion syndicates.
The Union Home Minister also used the occasion to laud the recent full rendition of the national song Vande Mataram in Parliament, calling it a historic step that honours the nationalist vision of its author, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.