TMC rule a ‘national security’ concern; no one can threaten ‘Chicken’s Neck’: Shah

KOLKATA: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing two back-to-back meetings of BJP workers in West Bengal on Saturday, asserted that the strategically crucial Siliguri Corridor, commonly known as the ‘Chicken’s Neck’, belongs to India and would not be allowed to be threatened or tampered with. He described the Trinamool Congress (TMC) rule in the state as a national security concern due to alleged infiltration and weakened border management. Addressing the BJP workers’ meeting in Siliguri, Shah said: “Some people raised slogans in Delhi saying they would cut off the ‘Chicken’s Neck’. Why, brother, how will you cut it? Is this your father’s land? This is India’s land; no one can lay a hand on it.” The Union Home minister further alleged that leaders of the Opposition INDIA Bloc had attempted to secure their release, but the Supreme Court rejected their bail pleas. The narrow strip of land connecting mainland India with the north-eastern states is referred to as the ‘Chicken’s Neck’ or the Siliguri Corridor, which is about 20–22 km wide and nearly 60 km long.

Meanwhile, addressing a similar meeting at Barrackpore in North 24-Parganas, Shah mounted a sharp attack on the TMC government, accusing it of shielding infiltrators, fuelling social strife and deliberately weakening border security for electoral gains. He projected the 2026 Assembly elections as more than a routine political contest, framing them as a referendum on national security, governance and Bengali identity. Alleging that illegal migration through the India-Bangladesh border had increased under the TMC due to votebank politics, Shah said infiltration had become a security issue for the entire country. He claimed that despite court orders, the state government was not providing land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for fencing along the international border. Referring to a recent Calcutta High Court order, Shah said the court had noted noncooperation by the state government in handing over land required for border fencing. The High Court has directed West Bengal to hand over already acquired land in nine border districts by March 31, observing that the state accounts for more than half of India’s border with Bangladesh and that large stretches remain unfenced despite multiple Cabinet decisions since 2016. Shah said a BJP government would expedite the process. On the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Shah accused the TMC of obstructing the Election Commission and alleged that state officials were not cooperating. He said the exercise would continue to identify and remove illegal names from the voters’ list. Shah also targeted the state government over the recent fire at warehouses housing a momo factory in Anandapur near Kolkata, in which workers lost their lives. While paying tribute to the victims, he alleged the incident was linked to corruption and administrative failure and demanded a full probe and action against those responsible. Expanding his criticism during the meetings, Shah accused the TMC of institutionalising corruption, claiming large-scale siphoning of funds and challenging the Chief Minister to deny election tickets to leaders facing allegations. He also alleged that social harmony in Bengal had been damaged by pitting communities against each other. Reaching out to Matua and Namasudra communities, Shah accused the TMC of intimidating refugee groups over citizenship issues and assured them of protection. He further claimed economic decline under the TMC, alleging that thousands of companies had shut down or moved out of the state since 2011. Calling for a change in government, Shah urged party workers to prepare for the 2026 elections, asserting that the year would mark the end of the TMC’s rule in West Bengal.