SILIGURI: Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang warmly welcomed Union Home Minister Amit Shah and his wife, Sonal Shah, during their early morning visit to Siliguri, describing the meeting as “warm and memorable.”
Shah’s visit is of strategic importance as he is set to attend the 61st Raising Day celebrations of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) at Ranidanga, which falls on the outskirts of Siliguri. The SSB secures India’s borders with Nepal and Bhutan and has a very important role in border security in the region.
Apart from the SSB event, Shah’s visit includes an assessment of the security situation along the India-Bangladesh border, also near Ranidanga. The Union Home Minister is expected to meet with Border Security Force (BSF) officers managing the 936 km stretch of border in North Bengal, especially amid political unrest in Bangladesh.
As part of his visit, Shah will also inaugurate virtual accommodation facilities for BSF personnel at the Petrapole Integrated Check Post in North 24-Parganas, an important trade point between India and Bangladesh.
While local BJP leaders, including Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumder and Darjeeling MP Raju Bista, were present during the visit, sources clarified that Shah’s trip was not politically motivated. He is scheduled to return to Delhi on Friday afternoon.
