Indian media outlet The Hindu reported that Newton Das, who participated in the student-public movement known as the July Revolution in Bangladesh, is a voter in West Bengal, India.
Amidst a controversy regarding alleged irregularities in the country's voter list, The Hindu reported that the young man named Newton Das is listed as a voter in West Bengal's Kakdwip assembly constituency. Kakdwip is located near the Sundarbans, a forest area that spans the borders of both countries.
Several photos of Newton Das participating in the movement that led to a change of power in Bangladesh on August 5 last year were found on social media, but the young man claimed to be an Indian citizen. However, he did not deny his active involvement in the protests in Bangladesh.
In a video message, Newton Das said, "I went to Bangladesh in 2024 due to issues related to ancestral property and got caught up in the revolution there." He further stated, "I have been a voter in Kakdwip since 2014, but I lost my voter ID card in 2017. Later, in 2018, with the help of local MLA Manturam Pakhira, I received a new voter card."
The Hindu's report states that Newton voted for Trinamool Congress's Kakdwip MLA Manturam Pakhira in the 2016 assembly elections. However, he did not clarify whether he is currently in India or Bangladesh.
Newton's cousin, Tapan Das, said that his brother was born in Bangladesh and votes in both countries. The Hindu's report mentions that this statement contradicts Newton's claim.
Tapan, a resident of Kakdwip, told journalists, "After the pandemic, Newton came here to sell land, and then he didn't come back. He was born in Bangladesh, so he is also a voter there. It's his mistake to be registered on the voter lists of two countries."
This incident has heated up politics in West Bengal. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of enrolling Bangladeshis in West Bengal's voter list.
Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said, "Millions of Bangladeshis are now voters in West Bengal." He also claimed that Saad Sheikh, a member of the banned militant organization 'Ansarullah Bangla Team' in Bangladesh, was on the voter list of Murshidabad district.
West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar, in a social media post, described Newton's case as "another shining example of the so-called 'Egiye Bangla model'," saying, "This Newton, who was seen with a stick in hand during the quota movement in Bangladesh, is now a registered voter of Kakdwip!"
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress leaders have claimed that the responsibility for protecting international borders and preventing illegal infiltration rests with the Border Security Force (BSF).
Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh said, "Regardless of how these people come—by land, sea, or air—the responsibility lies with the BSF and the central government." He also stated that the state administration would certainly fulfill its duties.
