27 Bangladeshi nationals arrested for illegal stay in Kerala's Kochi
Kochi (Kerala), Jan 31 (PTI): In one of the biggest crackdowns on Bangladeshi nationals residing illegally in India, police in Kerala have arrested 27 illegal migrants who are believed to have entered the country by wading through a shallow section of a river along the India-Bangladesh border.
They were arrested in a joint operation carried out in the early hours of Friday by Ernakulam rural police and the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in the North Paravur area near here, police said.
"These Bangladeshi nationals reportedly entered India by crossing a shallow section of a river along the India-Bangladesh border," the Ernakulam rural police said in a statement.
They had been engaged in various types of work in the area and had arrived in North Paravur after staying in multiple locations across India, it added.
All the 27 were arrested from a house rented by Harshad Hossain, a native of Mannam near North Paravur, the statement said.
During interrogation, the arrested individuals claimed that agents in Bangladesh had arranged all their Indian documents.
Police said an investigation has been launched into the matter. Those who assisted them locally are also under surveillance, it said.
The Bangladeshi nationals were working at various locations in the guise of migrant workers from West Bengal, and a detailed questioning of the arrested is underway, a top police official said.
The arrests were part of an ongoing special operation, 'Operation Clean,' launched by Ernakulam Rural District Police Chief Vaibhav Saxena after the arrest of 28-year-old Thaslima Begum two weeks ago.
Acting on a tip-off about Bangladeshi nationals staying in North Paravur, a team from Ernakulam Rural Police, assisted by the ATS, conducted a search, an officer said.
Verification of their documents revealed that they were Bangladeshi nationals illegally residing in India, posing as Indian citizens, he added.
A senior police officer said more details could not be disclosed at this stage, noting that this might be the biggest arrest of Bangladeshi nationals in the country within a month.
The arrested will be produced before the court after completing the interrogation, he added.
With these arrests, the number of Bangladeshis detained in the Ernakulam rural district police limits this month has risen to 34, police added.
The police on Thursday also arrested two Bangladeshi women from here for illegally staying in India.
According to the police, Kobitiba (22) and Rubina Sheikh (19) were arrested from Kodanadu in the Ernakulam rural police limits.
The checks would be intensified as part of 'Operation Clean', Saxena, who is leading the probe, said.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
