BJP demands Meghalaya Govt to implement MRSSA in letter & spirit to crackdown on illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, Myanmar

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMay 21, 2025

The state BJP on Wednesday demanded the state government to implement the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) in letter and spirit following the Centre’s directives to crackdown on illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar.

In a statement, BJP state general secretary Wankitbok Pohshna said, “The MRSSA, which is a safeguard against such wanton illegal migration, remains on paper till this date. BJP demands that MRSSA be implemented in letter and spirit with immediate effect so that the local population isn’t overwhelmed by a deluge of unauthorized people entering our land from other countries,” he said.

He said the party’s state unit has noted with satisfaction that the state government has initiated action against illegal immigrants, though BJP Meghalaya feels that such an exercise should have been carried out long ago, without waiting for a directive from the Central government.

“The state government has stated that a task force exists in every district which is responsible for the identification of illegal immigrants who have settled in our state. However such a task force has not achieved much over the years considering the swelling ranks of Bangladeshi and Rohingyas in Meghalaya as most local people would testify,” he opined.

“Meghalaya BJP suggests that the state government overhauls the task force and expands it to include headmen and dorbars of each locality who can assist in identifying people who don’t belong to the area, competent authorities can take over the investigation from there on,” Pohshna added.

The BJP general secretary said the party also expressed its gratitude to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs led by Home Minister Amit Shah for issuing a thirty days deadline to all states to locate, identify, and expel illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar. 

According to him, unchecked infiltration, aided by touts and political parties with vested vote bank interests, has continued for way too long, creating a demographic change across many parts of the country including Meghalaya. 

He mentioned that the negative impact of illegal immigration can be felt in various areas of the state, including in Shillong City itself raising serious concerns amongst the local population adding that  the illegal migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar are placing a serious strain on the state’s resources and are also responsible for a deteriorating law and order situation, with the rise of petty crime in many areas being attributed to such illegal immigrants from the neighbouring countries. Many of these people also carry an anti-India mindset and are therefore inimical to our national security.  

Meanwhile, Pohshna informed that the state BJP is in the process of deputing a delegation for consultations with the officials of the state Home Ministry. The aim is to apprise the officials about the actual situation on ground with regards to illegal immigration, he added.