Buddhadeb calls for firm measures against Bangladeshi influx

Kolkata, July 13 (UNI) West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today called for firm measures to tackle Bangladeshi infiltration.

Replying to a debate on budegetary demand for the Home Department, Mr Bhattacharjee said, ''We have to be firm against Bangladeshi infiltration. In the past we had soft attitude to people trying to earn a livelihood, but we ought to be cautious keeping in view the terrorist activities. The main problem is that the large portion of India and Bangladesh border is riverine.'' The Chief Minister expressed concern over the fact that general citizens from West Bengal were branded as Bangladeshi nationals in Mumbai and Delhi. '' I have talked to the Union Home Minister in this regard and would again take up the matter with him, '' he stated.

''Terrorism is an international phenomenon, but police alone cannot tackle this problem. We should be united irrespective of political affiliations in tackling terrorism,'' Mr Bhattacharjee averred.

''Terrorism is rearing its ugly heads across the globe, including London and Madrid. It has been noticed that the same pattern of destruction had been carried out by the terrorists. We have to ascertain who the people are and what their modus operandi is,'' he iterated.

He said, ''West Bengal till now has 88 cases of terrorism and terrorism-related activities,'' adding 75 people had been arrestd so far.

Interrogation of some of them had revealed that some had undergone arms training from ISI in Pakistan or in Afghanistan.

''We are looking into terrorism from different angles,'' he opined.

Dwelling on KLO and Maoist activities in North Bengal and South Bengal respectively, the Chief Minister said, ''We have to go into the socio-economic reasons. The state government has identified poorest of the poor villages and would go for socio-economic packages for their uplift.'' Expressing concern over growing atrocities against women, he said all sections of people should come forward to resist it and asked the Women's Commission to look into it.

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