Overview
- At a Kolkata press conference, Amit Shah unveiled a plan for a nationwide security grid to seal the Bengal border and vowed to identify and deport illegal residents.
- He accused the West Bengal government of withholding land needed for India–Bangladesh border fencing, a claim the TMC disputes by citing allocations at Petrapole, Andal and other sites.
- Framing the issue as national security, Shah predicted a two‑thirds BJP majority in 2026 and highlighted the party’s vote and seat gains in Bengal over the past decade.
- Mamata Banerjee rejected the allegations, questioned security lapses in places like Pahalgam and Delhi, and linked the Special Intensive Revision to alleged 58–60 deaths and 5.82 million draft‑roll deletions, calling for Shah’s resignation.
- The SIR claims‑and‑objections window remains open until January 15, while a separate Karnataka clearance of unauthorised homes near Kogilu drew an SHRC inspection, a visit by Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar and political cross‑state sparring with promises of rehabilitation for eligible residents.