- Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a demographic mission to counter illegal immigration
- He warned of a conspiracy aimed at changing India's demography and threatening national security
- Authorities are verifying identities to identify foreign nationals, especially from Bangladesh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a demographic mission to protect the country from the dangers posed by illegal immigrants. Speaking on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day, he alerted the citizens to a conspiracy to change the country's demography. This will not be tolerated, he asserted while addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort this morning.
"I would like to alert the nation about a concern, a challenge. Under a well-thought-out conspiracy, the country's demography is being changed, and seeds of a new crisis are being sown. These infiltrators are snatching the livelihood of the youth of my country. They are targeting our sisters and daughters. They are misleading the adivasis and grabbing their lands. This will not be tolerated," said PM Modi.
Illegal immigration has become a rising concern in the country. Authorities are cracking down and verifying the identities of suspicious workers across cities to identify foreign nationals, especially those from Bangladesh, living under the guise of Indian citizens.
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The Prime Minister's caution not only highlighted this rising concern but also delivered a message to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, whose party alleges that Bengali-speaking Indians are being targeted under the pretext of the anti-Bangladeshi crackdown.
During his speech, the Prime Minister also flagged the challenges caused due to demographic changes, especially in the border areas.
"Demographic changes in border areas pose a threat to national security. It sows the seeds of conflict. No country can surrender before infiltrators. Then how can we? Not to allow such activities is our duty to our ancestors who gifted us an Independent India. So I announce from the ramparts of Red Fort that we have decided to start a high-powered demography mission. This mission will tackle the danger that is looming over India," said PM Modi.
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The PM's 'national security' warning subdues Ms Banerjee's attempt at using the crackdown to back her regional politics.
The issue had also snowballed into an unlikely language war between Bengali and Bangladeshi, after the Delhi Police had referred to a translation as "written in Bangladeshi". Targeting the BJP over this incident, Ms Banerjee's Trinamool Congress had accused the central ruling party of "systematically promoting xenophobia" and "deliberately targeting Bengalis".
"Such dangerous narratives must be condemned and resisted at every level," the party had said.
The BJP had already been pushing back against such "dangerously inflammatory" remarks, with the party's media cell chief Amit Malviya even demanding that Ms Banerjee be "held accountable...under the National Security Act." "To claim otherwise, and call on Bengalis to rise against the centre, is deeply irresponsible. Mamata Banerjee should be held accountable," he had said.
