Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said India’s security rests on how well its borders are protected, stressing the need to strengthen border infrastructure.
Speaking at an event in Siliguri, West Bengal, Shah said he had repeatedly sought land from former chief minister Mamata Banerjee for the Border Security Force (BSF) to build fencing, but his requests were not heeded.
He claimed that land required for fencing along the India–Bangladesh border was not provided despite multiple appeals. According to him, 1,129 acres sought since 2014 to bolster border security became available only after a BJP government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari came to power.
Shah also expressed regret that earlier governments did not give due recognition to the national song “Vande Mataram”. He said the song’s full version had never been sung in India until it was rendered at the Red Fort during this year’s Independence Day celebrations.
Noting that 150 years have passed since Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay composed the song, Shah said it was a matter of relief that the nation had finally accorded it recognition.
