Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged villagers dwelling in areas near the India-Bangladesh border to maintain peace and avoid confrontation with people residing on the other side of the border, her plea coming in the backdrop of the recent escalation of tensions along the international border in Malda.
Mamata, who reached Murshidabad on Monday, attended a public distribution programme on the Nawab Bahadur’s Institution grounds near Hazarduari.
“Some parties which play divisive politics are trying to instigate people near the borders to create a riot-like situation among people of both the countries. I would ask our people not to get instigated and not foray near the border. It would only escalate tension,” said Mamata.
The chief minister did not mention Bangladesh or the BJP, but it was apparent that she had the recent face-off between villagers on the international border that cuts through Bengal's Malda district Bangladesh's Chapai-Nawabganj district in her mind.
"The BJP is instigating villagers in bordering areas, and that's why Didi sounded an alert for villagers," said a TMC insider.
On Saturday, villagers of Sukdebpur in Malda went to the border, alleging Bangladeshi goons walked into their farms near the Zero Line and looted their crops. In turn, some Bangladeshis assembled on the other side. Sukdebpur villagers alleged that the Bangladeshis resorted to brick-batting which injured at least four villagers and two BSF personnel.
Later, a similar claim was made by representatives of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of Bangladesh. Eventually, the BSF and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) managed to push back people away from the border.
Since then, farmers have not been to their fields as with intensified vigil on both sides.
“The BSF should take the responsibility to secure our borders. Simultaneously, I would ask the police to use public address systems, if required, to inform villagers so that they do not gather near the border. No one should take law into his hand,” Mamata added on Monday.
On Saturday, as tension escalated at the border, the BSF personnel burst teargas shells.
On Monday, Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Choudhury, the adviser to the home ministry of Bangladesh, said in Dhaka that after Saturday's incident, they had decided to approve a proposal mooted by the BGB to use non-lethal weapons.
“They will procure items like sound (stun) grenades and teargas,” Choudhury was seen saying at the Jamuna Television, a Bangladeshi news channel, while talking to newspersons.
So far, the BGB was equipped only with lethal weapons (guns).