Amit Shah Vows Action Against ‘Infiltrators’ During Seemanchal Visit Ahead Of Bengal Polls

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday asserted that the Narendra Modi government is determined to eliminate illegal infiltration, launching a major security and political outreach in Bihar’s Seemanchal region ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections.

Addressing a rally in Araria, Shah said that removing infiltrators would go beyond deleting names from voter lists. He emphasised that the government is committed to implementing a comprehensive programme to identify and remove every infiltrator from Indian soil.

Shah has begun a three-day visit to Seemanchal, which includes Kishanganj, Araria, Purnia and Katihar districts along the Bangladesh–Nepal border. The region has long been considered sensitive due to concerns over illegal migration, document fraud and cross-border smuggling.

During the visit, the Home Minister is expected to hold closed-door meetings with District Magistrates and senior police officials from several border districts. Discussions are likely to focus on suspected infiltration routes, demographic changes and security vulnerabilities.

Security sources indicate that individuals entering through Bihar often move onward to parts of West Bengal such as North Dinajpur, Malda and Murshidabad.

A key element under review is the proposed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in border areas to identify suspected illegal migrants. While West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has criticised the move as an attempt to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in another form, the Centre maintains that the exercise is necessary to ensure electoral integrity and strengthen border security.

Shah’s visit is also seen in the context of strategic concerns around the Siliguri Corridor — commonly referred to as the “Chicken Neck” — the narrow stretch that connects mainland India to the Northeast. Security planners consider stability in the north Bengal–Seemanchal belt crucial for safeguarding this critical link.

Coming after similar border reviews in Assam and Tripura, Shah’s tour signals the Centre’s focus on treating eastern border states as part of a coordinated security framework, even as political tensions rise ahead of elections.