BJP MP's sensational claim: 'Mamata Banerjee may block Siliguri corridor after 2026'

A day after Mamata Banerjee threatened unrest in Northeast, BJP MP Saumitra Khan on Thursday said that he fears the chief minister may cut the Northeastern region by blocking the Siliguri corridor.

"I live in West Bengal and I fear that Mamata Banerjee will close the path to North East India by shutting down the (Chickens') neck of India in the Siliguri portion by 2026 if the Government of India does not pay attention to it," he said while speaking to news agency ANI. 

Saumitra Khan, MP from Bishnupur and West Bengal BJP Vice President, said Banerjee can do anything for politics. "She will accommodate terrorists and criminals there for her politics. The courts and the Indian government should see to this otherwise India would be in danger," he added. 

The Siliguri Corridor, also known as the 'Chicken's Neck', is a narrow stretch of land in West Bengal. It connects the northeastern states to the rest of the country. This corridor is strategically significant because it is only about 22 kilometers (14 miles) wide at its narrowest point and is bordered by Nepal to the west, Bangladesh to the south, and Bhutan to the north.

On Wednesday, Mamata Banerjee warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying if the BJP tries to burn West Bengal then fire will also spread to Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and even reach Delhi. Assam CM Himanata Biswa Sarma hit back at her, asking her not to threaten his state.  

Saumitra Khan said Assam is a developing state. After Sarma came to power, he said, the people of Assam are getting work in their home state. "Employment is increasing and industries are established. On the other hand, Mamata Banerjee is destroying Bengal. I also think that she is connected to foreign powers."

Earlier in July, Saumitra Khan had launched an all-out attack on the TMC and warned that if West Bengal is not given the right direction, it will become part of Bangladesh. "Waha par Muslim rashtra ka shashan chalu ho gya. sab se badi dikkat ki baat yahi hai (Muslim Rashtra's rule has started there...this is the biggest problem)," the BJP MP said while speaking in the Lok Sabha. Hindus can't say Jai Shree Ram there, can't do Saraswati and Kali Puja, he added. 

The Bishnupar MP said that after a few years, Hindus will disappear from West Bengal and there will be a Muslim rule there after 10 years.