Mamata asks people not to go near Bangladesh border during unrest

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday urged the people of Malda district, which shares boundary with Bangladesh, to avoid visiting the border areas if there is unrest.

The chief minister's comment came days after an altercation between farmers from both countries escalated into a brief clash. A portion of the international boundary is unfenced and the BSF is erecting barbed wire fences in those sections.

"I will urge the people not to get involved in any form of riots. There are some problems in Bangladesh. It's the job of the BSF to look into affairs around the border. If there are law and order issues, we will oversee them. Remember, if they (Border Guard Bangladesh) are having an argument with the BSF, the villagers must not get involved in that," Banerjee said.

The CM, who is on a visit to the district, directed the district administration to keep an eye on attempts to sneak into India from the other side of the border.

At a meeting here, she also made the same appeal to the local people, saying that if anti-social elements and terrorists manage to enter India, this would affect the state as well as the country.

"It is the duty of the BSF to protect the border. I urge the people not to visit the border areas if they see any problem," Banerjee said.

The chief minister said, "I believe that one day our relationship (with Bangladesh) will improve again.”

During a recent administrative review meeting at the state secretariat, the CM accused the Border Security Force of allowing infiltration from Bangladesh and alleged that it was doing so as part of the central government’s "blueprint" to destabilise the state.

The central paramilitary force had denied the charge asserting it diligently guards the country’s boundary.