Agartala, May 21 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Wednesday once again firmly reiterated that the state government would not allow illegal immigrants from Bangladesh or Myanmar to enter Indian territory under any circumstances.

The Chief Minister further stated that if such infiltrators from across the border manage to enter Indian (Tripura) territory, they would be pushed back as per legal provisions.

CM Saha, who holds the Home portfolio, while talking with the media, asserted that the Border Security Force (BSF) along the India-Bangladesh border and in the second and third tier Tripura Police and other security forces are on the highest vigil against any kind of illegal infiltration.

The CM said this after distributing offer letters to the newly recruited Inspectors of Food at a function at Pragna Bhavan. He said that senior BSF, police and other security officials are closely monitoring the border situation.

CM Saha’s statement comes two days after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a directive to all states and union territories, giving them a 30-day deadline to invoke their statutory powers to verify the credentials of suspected illegal immigrants who claim to be Indian citizens and to proceed with their deportation if found ineligible.

“We are very clear on this. No Bangladeshi or Rohingya would be allowed to enter Tripura or Indian territory. If anyone does manage to infiltrate, they would be pushed back per the law,” he told the media.

Tripura, which has an 856 km border with Bangladesh, is surrounded on three sides by the neighbouring country, making the northeastern state very vulnerable and sensitive to cross-border migration issues.

The Chief Minister earlier said that during a recent meeting with the senior security officials, he had requested officials in the state to maintain close coordination among them to deal with the border-related issues and other related developments in view of the tension between India and Pakistan.

“We are working under the direction of the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Defence Minister (Rajnath Singh) and External Affairs (S. Jaishankar), and other leaders are working closely in dealing with the prevailing situation,” CM Saha had told the media.

“Situation across Tripura is completely normal and there is no cause for concern,” the Chief Minister said.

A BSF official said that the border guarding troops have enhanced vigilance and intensified their domination along the International Border since the violence and unrest in the neighbouring nation began last year.

“We have further strengthened our vigilance and security after the Pahalgam terror attack and in view of the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan,” the official said, adding that senior BSF officials frequently visit the bordering areas and monitor the border situation on a round-the-clock basis.

–IANS

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