On 9th December, the Home Minister of Chhattisgarh, Vijay Sharma, said that the authorities have deported around 850 illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators from the state. Sharma was speaking at a public meeting in Bhilai where he assured that all infiltrators would be identified and deported. Notably, he pointed out that around 500 illegal Bangladeshis have already been deported from Bastar and 350 have been removed from Kawardha.
Furthermore, 46 infiltrators from Kondagaon are currently in custody, awaiting deportation. Sharma assured that whenever such individuals are reported, the authorities will take swift action. He added that the state police are working tirelessly to identify and detain illegal immigrants.
Adivasi protests over illegal infiltrators in Bastar
The matter of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in Chhattisgarh has been brewing for months. In August 2024, the Sarv Adivasi Samaj called for a complete shutdown to protest against the unchecked influx of illegal Bangladeshis in the district. The tribal group alleged that the infiltrators came to India because of the political unrest in Bangladesh. They added that the infiltrators settled in villages, towns and cities while accusing the authorities of not taking any action against them. As a result, there was a widespread closure of shops and businesses. Only emergency services were operational during that time. The protestors demanded immediate identification and deportation of the illegal immigrants, as their presence risks the demography and cultural integrity of the region.
Bastar and Kondagaon declared Naxal-free
In other news, Chhattisgarh also achieved a significant milestone in its fight against Naxals. According to Bastar IG Sundar Raj P., both Bastar and Kondagaon districts were declared Naxal-free after decades of insurgency. He said in a statement that sustained development efforts in the interior regions of the state, combined with intensified security operations, significantly weakened the activities of Naxals in the area, which led to the historic achievement.
BJP’s 2023 victory should be credited for decisive governance
BJP’s decisive governance in the state should get the credit for both developments. It shows that there has been a notable impact of BJP coming to power in the December 2023 Assembly Elections. Under the leadership of the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Vishnu Deo Sai, the administration has visibly pushed the efforts to address long-standing issues of naxals and illegal infiltrators. This has also been reflected in the statement given by state Home Minister Vijay Sharma, who assured that any information about illegal immigrants will be swiftly checked and acted upon.
