Hotel owners in Bengal's Siliguri extend boycott of Bangladeshi nationals citing anti-India rhetoric

HOtel owners from westward Bengal's Siliguri feature proclaimed an filename extension of the boycott on east pakistani nationals in their establishments for the New Year, citing recent anti-India campaigns from across the border.Following the recent anti-India campaigns, the owners decided not to allow Bangladeshi nationals. Posters reflecting the ban have been put up in hotels across the city.Ujjwal Ghosh, Joint Secretary of Greater Siliguri Hotel Welfare Association, said, "No Bangladeshi Nationals are being allowed to stay in any hotel this time. Even Bangladeshis coming on student visas and for medical treatment are not being given hotels."Ghosh further added, "The anti-India statements being made by Bangladesh must be restrained. First comes the country's identity, then business. Business cannot be given priority by hurting the country's identity."Sandip Kumar, Secretary of the Greater Siliguri Hotel Welfare Association, said, "Those who are passing remarks against our country, we will allow them to take any facilities in the hotel industry. Apart from the organisation, those who are not our members they also support the decision."Also read: Another Hindu man shot dead in Bangladesh's Mymensingh days after Dipu Chandra Das' lynching: Report | World NewsTanmay Mani, manager of a hotel in Siliguri, said, "Last year, during the time of New Year, we had given some relaxation to the students and medical patients. But now we are totally boycotting the Bangladeshi Nationals."Earlier today, while addressing a press conference in West Bengal, Union Home Minister Amit Shah questioned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the alleged infiltration of illegal immigrants in the state, accusing her government of refusing to provide land for border fencing."It is the West Bengal government which is not allotting land to establish border fencing along Bangladesh. Can the CM answer why infiltration has stopped at the borders of Tripura, Assam, Rajasthan, Punjab, Kashmir and Gujarat? It is because, in West Bengal, infiltration occurs under your watch to bring about demographic change and strengthen your votes. The next election will be fought on the issues of stopping infiltration and removing infiltrators from here. Infiltration happening from the Bengal border is an issue of national security," Shah said.Also read: Owaisi on Hindu man's lynching in Bangladesh: ‘Contrary to what country's Constitution says’ | India NewsHe said that infiltration has stopped in Tripura and Assam, while it continues in West Bengal. Shah claimed that Mamata Banerjee wants the infiltration to continue for political purposes, which he said was "to expand her vote bank"."Mamata, today I want to ask you a simple question. Which government refuses to provide land for border fencing? I will answer it myself -- it is your government that does not provide land for border fencing. I then want to ask why infiltrators first enter Bengal. What are your patwaris and police stations doing? Why are these infiltrators not sent back? Can the Bengal government explain why infiltration has been stopped in Assam and Tripura? It is happening only in Bengal because this is taking place under your watch. You want to change Bengal's demography to expand your vote bank," he said. (ANI)