At Raiganj rally, Shuvendu warns sternly on cow slaughter, vows to send infiltrators back to Bangladesh

West Bengal Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari has said that if any incident of cow slaughter occurs in his state, there will be 'no one worse than me'. He issued the warning on Thursday, according to the Economic Times.

Speaking at a public meeting in Raiganj in North Dinajpur district, he stressed that the cow is sacred to Hindus and that no harm should be done to them.

The chief minister said: 'Do not lay a hand on Gomata. Do no harm to Gomata. I am making this clear — if such a thing happens, there will be no one worse than me.'

Announcing that alleged infiltrators would be sent back to Bangladesh, he said: 'We will send the infiltrators back to Bangladesh; they will first be kept at holding stations and then sent back from there.'

Shuvendu reiterated his administration's commitment to granting citizenship to Hindu refugees through the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He said he would ensure that no Hindu refugee has to remain in jail.

Addressing the crowd in this district bordering Bangladesh, he said: 'I will ensure that not a single Hindu refugee is in jail here. Immediate legal steps will be taken to free them and to grant citizenship under the CAA.'

He urged Hindu refugees to apply quickly for citizenship.

Highlighting his government's emphasis on maintaining security in the state's border areas, he further said: 'There should be no illegal madrasas in these border areas, so that no anti-state activity can take place.'