BJP’ Illegal Infiltration Claim Heats Up BMC Poll Campaign
Senior NCP leader Nawab Malik hit back at Mumbai BJP chief Amit Satam, saying the BJP should first address the issue through the Union and state home departments, both headed by the party. Mr. Malik accused the BJP of using the infiltration issue to harass citizens and create fear ahead of the civic polls.
Mumbai: Amid the campaign for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the BJP’s allegations of Bangladeshi infiltration in Mumbai triggered sharp political reactions on Wednesday, with leaders of the NCP and Congress accusing the party of misleading voters and polarising the electorate.
Senior NCP leader Nawab Malik hit back at Mumbai BJP chief Amit Satam, saying the BJP should first address the issue through the Union and state home departments, both headed by the party. Mr. Malik accused the BJP of using the infiltration issue to harass citizens and create fear ahead of the civic polls.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Satam raised concerns over what he termed a “silent demographic and cultural change” in Mumbai, alleging it was part of a planned strategy involving illegal infiltration, encroachments and vote-bank politics. He also targeted the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), questioning how many Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators were allegedly settled in the city during its tenure in power.
“Demography is destiny. We will not allow the colour of Mumbai to change, and we will not allow the Mamdanisation of Mumbai. A safe Mumbai alone can be a developed Mumbai,” Mr. Satam said.
He further alleged that public land across several parts of Mumbai was being systematically encroached upon to house suspected Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators, who were later assisted in obtaining documents such as Aadhaar, PAN and voter IDs and added to electoral rolls.
Reacting sharply, Mr. Malik, who is chairman of the NCP’s Mumbai Election Management Committee, said that if the BJP was serious about the issue, it should first “deport former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina” from India, claiming that Hindus were facing hardships in Bangladesh. He said both the Union and state home ministries were already dealing with the issue of infiltrators and accused the BJP of targeting Muslim residents under its campaign narrative.
“Wherever Muslims live in Kurla, Malvani and other areas, they are being branded as Bangladeshis. This is misleading the people,” Mr. Malik said.
Congress leader Sachin Sawant echoed the criticism, accusing the BJP of raising communal issues whenever elections are near. “The BJP has nothing to say about development, which is why it repeatedly rakes up the Hindu–Muslim issue,” said Mr. Sawant, who is the AICC Secretary and chief spokesperson of the Mumbai Congress.
