Bengal BJP relying on area-wise Aadhaar saturation data to establish theory on state-promoted infiltration

Kolkata, July 11 (IANS) The West Bengal unit of the BJP is relying heavily on Aadhaar saturation data in certain pockets of West Bengal to establish its theory of state-promoted infiltration from Bangladesh.

The BJP has been accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress and the administrative dispensation of promoting illegal infiltration from Bangladesh and helping the Bangladeshis settle down in different pockets after illegally providing them with Indian identify documents.

The state unit of the party has already started collecting area-wise Aadhaar saturation data to identify those pockets where the saturation is over 100 per cent, meaning the number of Aadhaar cardholders in such areas is more than the population there.

A state committee member of BJP in West Bengal said that recently in the case of Bihar, which is going for polls this year, it came to their notice that while Aadhaar saturation in the entire state stands at 94 per cent, in the case of minority-dominated districts like Purnia, Katihar, Araria and Kishanganj, the same saturation level had ranged between 121 per cent and 126 per cent.

“If that is the situation in Bihar, the situation in West Bengal is easily understandable. So, we have started collecting area-wise Aadhaar saturation data to reveal the real reason why the ruling dispensation in the state is stressing on accepting Aadhaar as proof of citizenship and why the state government is opposing the move to identify illegal infiltrators in West Bengal,” the state committee member claimed.

He also alleged that as per the initial data available with them, there are several Assembly constituencies just in Kolkata and its three adjacent districts of Howrah, South 24 Parganas, and North 24 Parganas, where the Aadhaar saturation level is above 100 per cent.

“We are sure that the situation will not be different for certain constituencies in districts like Malda, Murshidabad, Cooch Behar and North Dinajpur. As we collect the full data, more such aberrations in Aadhaar saturation levels will surface,” the state committee member professed.

He also claimed that is precisely why West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state and has branded that exercise as an indirect attempt to implement NRC in West Bengal.

--IANS

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