Row over Rajnath Singh’s visit to B’desh enclaves
1 April 2015 5:55 AM IST
“It is customary to have a prior discussion in such cases with the state government. In a federal structure, we must respect each other’s jurisdiction. Today, the Union Home Minister, along with BJP MPs, has visited Chhit-Mahal (enclave) areas in Cooch Behar. Is it an official visit or a political visit?” Banerjee questioned.
“No prior discussion or consultation about the visit was made with us. Chhit-Mahal and law and order fall within the jurisdiction of the state government. Even though I am now in North Bengal for a programme, I have only received a fax message of his tour,” she said.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O’Brien tweeted, “Official pic from HMO says HM meets
Governor. Fair enough. But what is BJP State Prez doing? What is his locus standi? We support progressive legislation, not the Land Bill which is draconian.”
Meanwhile, Diptiman Sengupta, convener of the Bharat Bangladesh Enclave Exchange Coordination Committee (BBEECC), also expressed his anger, saying that the Bharatiya Jnata Party (BJP) office-bearers restricted his organisation from meeting the minister.
The Cooch Behar BBEECC has been pushing for the implementation of the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) since 1994.
Speaking to Millennium Post, Sengupta said, “It is unfortunate that we were restricted to meet the Union minister. It only us who took the movement for such long years, and today, we were not given a chance to meet him.” Singh is the first Union minister to visit a Bangladeshi enclave in India. He was accompanied by the BJP MP from Darjeeling, SS Ahluwalia. He met the Border Guards of Bangladesh at Panbari Border Out Post (BOP) near Teen Bigha corridor at Cooch Behar. He also met BSF security personnel posted in the area before leaving.
Singh, who is on a two-day visit to the state will be visiting BOPs at 24 North Paraganas and 24 South Paraganas on Wednesday. He will also visit BSF outposts on the Indo-Bangladesh border in Cooch Behar to take stock of the ground reality in the area ahead of the implementation of LBA with Bangladesh.
“The Home Minister is being briefed by a BSF officer at Chit Balapukhri (a Bangladeshi enclave in India) near the India-Bangladesh international border,” said a Home Ministry spokesperson.
The implementation of the LBA, agreed between the two nations in 1974, will lead exchange of enclaves and prevent porosity of the border. A constitutional amendment bill in this regard is expected to be presented in Parliament in the next session, starting April 20.
“No prior discussion or consultation about the visit was made with us. Chhit-Mahal and law and order fall within the jurisdiction of the state government. Even though I am now in North Bengal for a programme, I have only received a fax message of his tour,” she said.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O’Brien tweeted, “Official pic from HMO says HM meets
Governor. Fair enough. But what is BJP State Prez doing? What is his locus standi? We support progressive legislation, not the Land Bill which is draconian.”
Meanwhile, Diptiman Sengupta, convener of the Bharat Bangladesh Enclave Exchange Coordination Committee (BBEECC), also expressed his anger, saying that the Bharatiya Jnata Party (BJP) office-bearers restricted his organisation from meeting the minister.
The Cooch Behar BBEECC has been pushing for the implementation of the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) since 1994.
Speaking to Millennium Post, Sengupta said, “It is unfortunate that we were restricted to meet the Union minister. It only us who took the movement for such long years, and today, we were not given a chance to meet him.” Singh is the first Union minister to visit a Bangladeshi enclave in India. He was accompanied by the BJP MP from Darjeeling, SS Ahluwalia. He met the Border Guards of Bangladesh at Panbari Border Out Post (BOP) near Teen Bigha corridor at Cooch Behar. He also met BSF security personnel posted in the area before leaving.
Singh, who is on a two-day visit to the state will be visiting BOPs at 24 North Paraganas and 24 South Paraganas on Wednesday. He will also visit BSF outposts on the Indo-Bangladesh border in Cooch Behar to take stock of the ground reality in the area ahead of the implementation of LBA with Bangladesh.
“The Home Minister is being briefed by a BSF officer at Chit Balapukhri (a Bangladeshi enclave in India) near the India-Bangladesh international border,” said a Home Ministry spokesperson.
The implementation of the LBA, agreed between the two nations in 1974, will lead exchange of enclaves and prevent porosity of the border. A constitutional amendment bill in this regard is expected to be presented in Parliament in the next session, starting April 20.
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