Amid 'Bangladeshi' Row, Bengal SIR Buzz Amit Shah To Meet State BJP MPs Tomorrow
The meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the BJP's Bengal MPs is scheduled for the same day the TMC is holding a virtual huddle
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to hold a crucial meeting with BJP MPs from West Bengal in the national capital on Monday. This comes as political tension escalates over the 'Bangladeshi" row in New Delhi.
The controversy has attracted a barrage of criticism from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress, who have accused the Centre of targeting Bengalis and their language via police verification drive in BJP-ruled states against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
Although there has been no official statement from the BJP, party insiders indicate that the meeting will focus on addressing these allegations.
During a rally at Durgapur in July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made it clear that the BJP will not be defensive on this issue.
'This is why infiltration is being encouraged, their fake documents are being created. An entire ecosystem has been developed here. This is a threat to West Bengal, the country, and Bengali culture," he had said.
He added: 'They (TMC) want to challenge the Constitution and constitutional institutions. The TMC is now speaking openly in their favour. Let me make it clear, those who are not citizens of India, those who have infiltrated illegally, will face action under the Constitution. The BJP will not allow any conspiracy against Bengal's pride to be successful. This is Modi's guarantee."
The TMC has since labelled this stance as BJP's 'audacity" and intensified efforts to portray the saffron party as 'Bangla birodhi" (opposed to Bengali speakers), a label the BJP MPs are eager to dismiss.
In another development, sources have suggested that a special intensive revision (SIR) for West Bengal is also likely to be part of the meeting's agenda. This voter list revision, akin to the one in poll-bound Bihar, reportedly includes sensitive assessment on demographic shifts and cross-border dynamics, which could impact both electoral strategy and security planning in the region.
The SIR in Bihar has sparked protests from opposition parties. Earlier on Sunday, TMC leader Derek O'Brien termed the exercise as 'silent invisible rigging".
The anticipated meeting between Shah and the Bengal MPs is scheduled for the same day the TMC is holding a virtual huddle. Mamata Banerjee is expected to address all her party MPs, many of whom are in Delhi for the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament.
This meeting comes at a time when the BJP is reassessing its approach in West Bengal following a mixed performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Several MPs from the state have expressed concerns about internal coordination, grassroots support, and ideological messaging.
While there is no official confirmation yet of the meeting's agenda, political observers believe it could shape the BJP's future strategy in Bengal ahead of the 2026 assembly polls.
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