Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Credit: PTI Photo
Guwahati: Around 50 Bangladeshi infiltrators have been identified and pushed back by the state police force since the political unrest in the neighbouring country, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed on Wednesday.
Sarma said the immigrants were using Assam as a passage to reach southern cities to work in the textile industry and he will write to his Tamil Nadu counterpart to check the credentials of those entering the workforce in this sector in recent months.
"When there is unrest in a neighbouring country, repercussions will happen. Approximately 50 illegal Bangladeshis have been identified and pushed back by our police in the last couple of months. Similar operations are being done by Tripura Police and BSF also," Sarma said at a press conference here.
He added that security deployment in Karimganj district, through which the infiltration bids are happening, is being increased.
In a post on X later, he said that three illegal migrants were pushed back in the early hours of Wednesday.
"In line with our ongoing policy to safeguard our borders against any infiltration, Karimganj police detected the following Bangladeshi nationals and subsequently pushed them back at 00:50 hours today," he wrote.
The infiltrators were identified as Md Zubair Sheikh, Juel Sheikh and Ruma Khatun, he added.
The CM, in his press briefing, maintained that those trying to enter were Muslims, contrary to a perception that Hindu Bengalis would try to migrate to India.
"There are no 'political refuges' coming, 'economic refuges' are trying to enter," he claimed, stating that the infiltrators were trying to make their way to Tamil Nadu and other southern parts to work in the textile industry.
"I will write to the Tamil Nadu chief minister to check the background of those who have joined the textile industry recently. I doubt that maybe we are detecting only 10 per cent of those trying to enter illegally," he said.
The CM also asserted that the government will be tough and sent back any Bangladeshi national living with valid documents in the state but indulging in any anti-India campaign.