Amid rising concerns about illegal infiltration, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma highlighted a significant increase in the penetration of Rohingya into India via the Indo-Bangladesh border.

This statement came after Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha raised alarms over the issue.

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“Rohingya penetration into India has increased manifold. They are exploiting the border situation between India and Bangladesh,” Sarma asserted, emphasising the urgent need for heightened security measures.

The Assam CM pointed out that Assam can only patrol a portion of the extensive Indo-Bangladesh border. He referenced recent incidents in Tripura, where police apprehended a substantial number of Rohingya attempting to cross the border illegally.

“Last year, the Assam Police also uncovered a network, which was eventually investigated by the NIA,” he added.

Sarma urged the central government to bolster border security, particularly in West Bengal, to prevent further infiltration. He stressed that a “demographic shift” is underway in states like Assam, Jharkhand, and West Bengal due to this infiltration.

“There is a real demographic invasion in eastern India,” Sarma remarked. “In Assam, people are acutely aware of this demographic invasion, but other states are now beginning to experience its effects.”

In a pointed critique, Sarma accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of adopting a “lenient stance” on infiltration. “Just compare the voter lists of 2019 and 2024, and you will see a significant percentage increase in certain populations,” he noted.

In a related development, the Tripura Police detained six Bangladeshi nationals at Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in Agartala. Acting on a tip-off, investigation revealed that the six women had entered Tripura without passports and identified themselves as Bangladeshi nationals.

The women were planning to leave the state for another destination when they were apprehended. They were taken to the police station for further questioning and later produced before the court where a police remand was sought.