After Two Bangladeshi Terrorists, Tehreek-e-Mujahideen Member Arrested In West Bengal; BJP Slams TMC's 'Indirect Support'

The apprehension of an alleged member of a terrorist group in West Bengal on Sunday (22 December) has reignited discussions over the possibility of the state becoming a sanctuary for radical elements.

A presumed member of the prohibited Tehreek-e-Mujahideen in Kashmir was apprehended after a cooperative effort between the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the West Bengal Special Task Force, which took place in Canning, South 24 Parganas.

The accused operative, Javed Munshi, was presented to a court in Alipore, Kolkata, which granted him transit remand until 31 December, The Hindu reported.

The arrest of two suspected Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) operatives, Minarul Sheikh (48), a pump mechanic, and Md Abbas Ali (29), who were in the process of establishing a small educational center for children, in Murshidabad by the West Bengal Police occurred just days before the latest development.

These arrests were part of a collaborative operation with the Assam Police, which resulted in the detention of eight ABT operatives. Following their arrest, all the suspects were presented in a court in Assam.

The detentions sparked a verbal conflict between the governing Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) concerning the state's law and order situation and the infiltration across the India-Bangladesh border.

Firhad Hakim, the Mayor of Kolkata and a high-ranking leader of TMC, stated that the arrests were carried out by the West Bengal Police under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, demonstrating a complete lack of tolerance for extremists.

He further emphasised that it's the responsibility of the Home Ministry to bolster the Border Security Force (BSF) to prevent any border infringements.

Sukanata Majumdar, the state BJP president, stated that the Central government was prepared to assume full responsibility for the border, on the condition that the necessary land for the construction of border fences is allocated by the state government.

Amit Malviya, a leader from the BJP, claimed that the detained ABT members possessed voter ID cards from two different constituencies - Kandi and Hariharpara in Murshidabad.

"This incident is just the tip of the iceberg. Illegal infiltrators obtaining voting rights have become a significant part of the TMC’s voter base, enabling their continued grip on power," Malviya posted on X platform.

The apprehensions and political finger-pointing occur during a period when events in Bangladesh have heightened political tensions in West Bengal. The purported assaults on minorities in Bangladesh have provided the BJP and other Hindutva groups with a chance to arrange continuous demonstrations in various regions of the state.