West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Monday visited the Hakimpur border outpost in North 24 Parganas following reports of “reverse migration” of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the wake of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The governor met senior Border Security Force (BSF) officials and interacted with local residents to assess the situation firsthand. Bose emphasised that his visit aimed to form an independent opinion on the ground realities, amid multiple interpretations of media reports suggesting that hundreds of migrants were returning to Bangladesh.
“Multiple interpretations are being made of media reports of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants attempting to return to their country after the SIR exercise. I wanted to see the situation for myself before forming an opinion,” Bose told reporters in Kolkata.
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He described the SIR as a “crucial and important” exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India to ensure accurate electoral rolls. “If there are any grievances, I believe the EC will address them. I hope everything goes well. All’s well that ends well,” he added.
Officials said the governor is scheduled to visit additional border areas in Murshidabad on Tuesday to continue his assessment of the situation.
The SIR exercise, aimed at updating voter lists in the state, has drawn attention due to claims that some illegal immigrants may be attempting to leave India voluntarily in response to the revision. Bose’s visit reflects the administration’s intent to monitor developments closely and maintain law and order along sensitive border sectors.
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