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News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Illegal Immigration Crackdown & Electoral Revision: Why Is the Opposition So Nervous?
Amid all this, what stands out is not just the impact of these actions, but the intensity of the opposition's reaction The Modi government's recent crackdown on illegal immigration has set off a dramatic political storm. From vanishing workforces in cities like Gurugram to uproar over the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, the Opposition claims the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is working to disenfranchise millions of Indians. Amid all this, what stands out is not just the impact of these actions, but the intensity of the opposition's reaction. After all, this may just be a struggle for the very foundation of some parties' political strength. Let's start with Gurugram. The millennium city's economy, humming with construction and service industries, has endured visible disruption as hundreds of migrant labourers — primarily Bengali-speaking — have disappeared from work sites in recent weeks. While the government's drives have detained a few hundred individuals for verification, the overwhelming response has been one of anticipatory flight: families hurriedly packing up, liquidating meagre assets and moving out with little warning. Why would so many people flee if they are not at risk? Police reports reveal that out of the detained group, only a handful were found to be without valid documentation, the rest cleared and left untouched. The pre-emptive departure suggests that even among those who may be on the right side of the law, there's an atmosphere of uncertainty — a sense that their documentation may not withstand a deeper scrutiny, or perhaps, that networks of false papers are more prevalent than previously thought. This aggressive enforcement isn't limited to one city. After Operation Sindoor, India has launched a nationwide campaign to systematically track, verify and deport thousands of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. The operation stands out for its logistical sophistication: using IAF aircraft to move suspects, setting up holding camps and undertaking coordinated pushback operations at the border. Gujarat leads the count, but Delhi and Haryana are not far behind. Illegal immigrants are also being tracked and deported from states like Meghalaya and Assam. What distinguishes the ongoing campaign is not merely its scale, but its urgency. States have been handed strict deadlines by the Ministry of Home Affairs, while central agencies and state police operate with rare synergy. No doubt, illegal immigration is a decades-old problem, but not until now has it received this degree of concentrated administrative will. Bihar's Special Intensive Revision: Cleaning Up or Attacking Constituencies? Perhaps nothing has roused the opposition's ire more than the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) underway in Bihar. This drive involves a thorough review of the state's electoral rolls for the first time since 2003. The numbers are eye-opening: 65 lakh names dropped from the preliminary draft—22 lakh deceased, 36 lakh untraceable, and 7 lakh double-registered. In a democracy as large and diverse as India, voter roll errors are rarely shocking — but the size of this cleanup points to deep-rooted irregularities built up over decades. Opposition parties are resisting the revision with all their might, claiming that the SIR's documentary requirements amount to a citizenship test by stealth – an unofficial NRC of sorts – and unfairly target marginalised voters. Petitions have hit the Supreme Court. Yet, much of their outrage appears rooted not in the process but in its possible electoral implications. As TMC parliamentarians candidly admit, Bihar is just a precursor; the real battlefield is West Bengal, where the illegal immigration crisis is the most severe. West Bengal: The Real Prize The opposition's fears crystallise when it comes to West Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has attacked the revision exercise as an 'NRC-through-backdoor," warning that millions risk disenfranchisement. To the BJP, however, purification of voter rolls has always been a core electoral promise — a way to undo what they allege is years of vote-bank engineering via illegal immigration. Both parties know what's at stake. The TMC's stellar electoral performances in border districts have, for years, prompted accusations that its rise is tied to illegal votes. The opposition's determination to block the SIR is driven less by due process and more by established electoral arithmetic. Lost votes could, after all, alter their hold in vital constituencies. Resistance or Self-Interest? Charges of arbitrary action, threats to civil liberties, claims of disenfranchisement are all part of an all-too-familiar script. Yet scratch beneath the surface, and an uncomfortable contradiction emerges. When processes clearly target only non-citizens, why the all-consuming anxiety? Where is the support for the legitimate voter — the Indian citizen whose ballot is otherwise diluted? Consider recent history: the Congress's dogged opposition to the NRC in Assam, the AAP's generous issuance of official documents to undocumented residents in Delhi, and the TMC's fierce resistance to any enumeration in border districts — all point to a deeper strategy of vote bank politics. When TMC leaders publicly defend the electoral rights of 'Bengali-speaking" populations without distinguishing between legal and illegal residents, the pattern is plain to see. The Stakes for Democracy The campaign against illegal immigration is, at its heart, an assertion about Indian democracy: about who gets counted and whose voice matters. If electoral rolls are riddled with ineligible names, then the principle of one-person-one-vote is compromised. Bihar's experience, where lakhs of voters have been found ineligible after revision, is an alarm bell for the rest of the nation. The government claims that genuine voters will have ample time and assistance to update or present documentation, with door-to-door verifications in sensitive areas. Yet, opposition parties continue to frame it as a conspiracy to suppress legitimate votes. Their real fear seems not to be bureaucratic error, but the unravelling of political calculations built over decades. The truth is that, as India advances economically and globally, it cannot afford electoral rolls clouded in illegitimacy. The Modi government's drive may have its flaws, but the underlying impulse — accountability and transparency about citizenship — is necessary. The opposition's panic speaks volumes: cleaning up the rolls doesn't just threaten a few votes, but entire models of political survival. If the exercise uproots illegal entries, it strengthens democracy; if it is derailed, it perpetuates the status quo. For voters and policymakers alike, that is the real debate. The issue is such, that a political war of words is impossible to avoid. About the Author Sanbeer Singh Ranhotra Sanbeer Singh Ranhotra is a producer and video journalist at Network18. He is enthusiastic about and writes on both national affairs as well as geopolitics. view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: August 01, 2025, 16:24 IST News opinion Opinion | Illegal Immigration Crackdown & Electoral Revision: Why Is the Opposition So Nervous? Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India Today
7 hours ago
- India Today
After Mahadev, India launched Op Shiv Shakti. 12 terrorists killed in 100 days
The armed forces have ramped up counter-terror operations after the Pahalgam attack, with 12 most-wanted terrorists having been eliminated in 100 days, sources said. Among the 12 eliminated, six were Pakistani terrorists, while the rest were locals involved in major terror attacks in J& more than 100 terrorists were killed by the forces in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor between May May, multi-agency counter-terror exercises have been launched, with the most significant being Operation Mahadev, which saw the three terrorists who carried out the Pahalgam attack being killed. On July 28, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists Suleiman, Afghan and Jibran were killed in a joint operation by the Army, CRPF, and the Jammu and Kashmir Police near Srinagar's Dachigam very next day, another operation named Shiv Shakti was carried out where two more terrorists were eliminated by the Army."If we talk about the number of these operations, it is very difficult to set a figure. All units across Jammu and Kashmir are carrying out these counter operations continuously in their respective areas," one of the sources told India OPS RAMPED UPFour major counter-terror operations were launched in the first week after the Pahalgam attack. The operations were focused mainly in South Kashmir, including Shopian and Pulwama. Two more crucial operations started after Lashkar terrorists were killed in an operation in Shopian's Keller Forest. On May 15, another operation in Tral's Nader area eliminated three more to intelligence agencies, 42 terror launch pads, housing 110-130 terrorists, were active in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) before the Pahalgam 70-75 terrorists were active in Kashmir, while 60-65 terrorists were present in Jammu, Rajouri, and Poonch.- EndsTune InMust Watch
Hans India
7 hours ago
- Hans India
BSF trooper goes missing from battalion headquarters in J&K's Srinagar
Srinagar: A Border Security Force (BSF) trooper has gone missing from his battalion headquarters in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar. Officials said that the trooper identified as Sugam Choudhary of the 60th BSF battalion went missing from his battalion headquarters in Srinagar late Thursday evening. 'A massive search operation was launched to trace the missing BSF trooper who was posted in the Panthachowk area of Srinagar. The trooper belonging to the 60th Battalion was stationed at Panthachowk. However, despite extensive efforts in nearby areas, he remains untraceable," the officials said. Following this, a missing report has been lodged, and further investigation is underway, the officials added. It is not so far known whether the absence of the trooper was a deliberate personal act by the trooper or if there are some other reasons behind this disappearance. More details are awaited as the probe and search are on. The security forces are already on maximum alert in the union territory after Operation Sindoor was announced by New Delhi to avenge the killing of 26 civilians by Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists on April 22 in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam. All three hardcore Pakistani terrorists responsible for the April 22 killings of civilians were eliminated by the joint forces in Operation Mahadev in the upper reaches of Dachigam National Park on the foot of the Mahadev mountain peak in the Harwan area of Srinagar district on July 28. The slain LeT terrorists included LeT commander Suleman Shah and his two associates, Abu Humza and Jibran Bhai. Security forces are aggressively carrying out anti-terrorist operations in J&K, targeting terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers. Even drug smugglers and drug peddlers are on the radar of the security forces. It is believed by the intelligence agencies that funds generated illegally through hawala money rackets and drug smuggling are finally routed into the sustenance of terrorism in J&K. From just physical elimination of terrorists, the focus is now on dismantling the entire ecosystem of terrorism in the UT.
