Union Home Minister Amit Shah is on a three-day visit to Bihar beginning Wednesday. During the visit, he toured Araria and other border districts and held meetings with state officials, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and other security agencies.
The meetings focused on analysing issues related to alleged demographic changes, infiltration, and illegal religious constructions in Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. Shah stated that infiltration affects food supplies meant for the poor and poses risks to employment opportunities for youth and to national security.
Shah announced that a high-level committee will be constituted to review demographic changes across the country. The committee will prepare a detailed report and provide information to the Centre regarding the situation in all sensitive districts. He said the most affected areas are West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Bihar. Shah stated that unnatural population changes can pose serious risks to a country’s culture, history, and geography.
Referring to the ongoing elections in West Bengal, Shah said he is confident that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will form the government. He stated that the first step of the new government would be to complete border fencing and remove every infiltrator. He said this is not an electoral promise but a commitment of the Modi government at the Centre. Shah stated that when seeking the next mandate, the removal of all infiltrators from the country would be a priority, and indicated a target of completing the process by 2030.
In Araria district of Bihar, at Leti near the Nepal border, Shah inaugurated the Border Outpost (BOP) building of the 52nd Battalion of the SSB. He stated that the Seemanchal region will be made free of infiltrators. He said infiltration adversely affects food supplies for the local poor and employment opportunities for youth. Shah described securing the country’s borders as the government’s highest priority.
Shah stated that detailed meetings are being held with the Bihar government, district magistrates, and police superintendents to prepare an effective action plan for each district. He said all illegal encroachments within 10 kilometres of the border will be removed. The SSB, police, and state administration will carry out coordinated action.
Shah stated that demographic change is not merely a matter of numbers but also affects national security, local employment, and the use of resources. He emphasised the need to collect precise data regarding the situation in Seemanchal and other sensitive districts. He said the Centre and the state government are working together to address the issue to ensure that local citizens’ lives are not adversely affected and that proper distribution of resources is ensured.
Shah stated that the presence of infiltrators increases security risks and affects social and economic stability. He said the government aims to ensure security while maintaining local development and employment opportunities.
