Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Aug 29: The Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament Mahua Moitra triggered a massive political controversy with her remarks against the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing him of failing to check infiltration from Bangladesh borders and allegedly stating his “head should be cut off and put on the table.”
Speaking to reporters in West Bengal’s Nadia district on the sidelines of an event on Thursday, Ms Moitra alleged that the Union government was shirking its responsibilities on border security. “They are repeatedly talking about infiltrators; but the border of India is protected by five forces, and that is directly the Home Ministry’s responsibility,” she said.
The BJP, which was quick to hit back, slammed Ms Moitra for her “distasteful and hate remarks” and wondered whether it was TMC’s official stand.
Referring to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address, she remarked, “Standing at Red Fort, the PM himself said infiltrators are causing demographic changes. But even as he was saying this, his Home Minister was standing in the front row, smiling and clapping.”
“If India’s borders can’t be protected, if infiltrators are entering in hundreds, disrespecting our women, taking over our lands, then it is your duty to cut Amit Shah’s head and put it on the table,” Moitra said. The Krishnanagar MP also said, “When the home ministry and home minister cannot protect the nation’s borders, and the PM himself says infiltrators are troubling our people, then who is at fault? Is it our fault? Or yours?”
Launching a personal attack on Mr Shah, she alleged, “If we don’t have anyone to protect our borders, if people from another country are entering every day, if our citizens complain that infiltrators are eyeing our mothers and sisters and snatching our lands, then the first thing you should do is cut Amit Shah’s head and put it on your table.”
Moitra also questioned why infiltration continues despite the presence of the Border Security Force along the frontier. Her statements directly blamed the central leadership for the rising concerns over illegal immigration, particularly in border states like West Bengal.
Her brazen remarks sparked strong reactions from the BJP, with party leader Pradeep Bhandari saying that such remarks are “beyond politics, pure hate speech, drenched in venom.” In a post on X, he said, “Disgusting, Disgraceful! That line from Mahua Moitra is beyond politics, it is pure hate speech, drenched in venom. Her level has stooped this low under able guidance by Mamata Banerjee’s TMC!” he said.
Local resident Sandeep Majumdar also lodged a complaint against Moitra at Krishnanagar’s Kotwali police station. “The distasteful and objectionable remarks only reflect the mindset of the person and the TMC. We would like to know, is this official line of the TMC, if not they must tender an apology and initiate action against Moitra,” BJP leader Rahul Sinha said. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said, “…The language used by Mahua Moitra and at Rahul Gandhi’s rally is highly condemnable. If they have any shame, they should apologise.”
Following the backlash from the BJP, the TMC MP, however, said, “Modus operandi of BJP troll cell – pick one issue, give it to all resident twits (& an “a” instead of an “i” would be just as well) & make it “viral” on social media. Today’s theme is Mahua Moitra’s Off With His Head metaphor. Long live my infamy, guys. Love it.”
The remarks came at a time when the Modi government has launched an operation to remove illegal immigrants from Bangladesh who are living in India. Union government data showed that exfiltration in the first half of this year stood at 3,536, almost thrice the number from 1,049 in 2024. In Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Assam, police have started a crackdown in unauthorised colonies and detained a number of people for being illegal immigrants.
Infiltration from Bangladesh continues to be a cause of concern. However, data suggests a slight fall from previous years. Till July 15, 2025, 1,372 infiltrators were apprehended by the Border Security Force (BSF). In 2024, the number was 2,425. “Incidents of detention have led to more illegal Bangladeshis crossing over on their own from India using the unfenced sections of the border. Some were handed over by BSF and accepted by BGB after scrutiny,” a BSF official said.