BJP urges UPA government to strengthen BSF

Shillong, Aug 4 (UNI) Opposition BJP today urged the Congress-led UPA government to raise more BSF battalions to prevent Bangladeshi infiltrators into India.

''We cannot blame the BSF alone for the present infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals,'' Arunachal Pradesh BJP MP Kiren Rijiju told UNI here, reiterating that the present deployment of frontier guards was inadequate to safeguard the national interest.

One BSF jawan had been asked to man about 50 mt of the unfenced border leaving a wide gap for illegal migrants to enter safely, the MP said.

Mr Rijiju was leading a six-member BJP Parliamentary team to the international border with Bangladesh in Asom and Meghalaya to make on-the-spot assessment of the vulnerability posed at the border.

The team visited Mankachar sector in Asom and Mahendraganj, Dawki and Dalu in Meghalaya.

''We will take up this matter in Parliament during monsoon session and also submit a detailed report on the visit to the Union Home ministry and urge for regional cooperation for pushing back the Bangladeshis,'' the MP said.

On fencing of the border, Mr Rijiju said the team had decided to ask the government to raise the border fence from the zero line ensuring that the vast tracts of cultivable land belonging to residents are not lost.

UNI