‘Pushbacks like Kohli’s straight drive’: Assam CM says 18 infiltrators sent back to Bangladesh

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced early morning on October 20 that authorities had apprehended and deported 18 Bangladeshi nationals who allegedly entered India illegally, marking the latest action in the state government's intensified campaign against unauthorised border crossings.

Drawing a cricket analogy in his social media post, Sarma compared the deportations to Virat Kohli's signature straight drive. "Just like Kohli's iconic Straight Drive, we are also executing PUSHBACKS straight back to the territory of illegal infiltrators. Such pitch invaders have been pushed back early this morning from Sribhumi," the Chief Minister wrote on X, adding that "Diwali is really the time when the good defeats the evil."

This deportation follows a similar action earlier this month when Sarma announced on October 2 that 22 other Bangladeshi nationals had been pushed back on Vijaya Dashami. At that time, he framed the action in religious terms, stating: "On a day when Prabhu Shri Ram defeated Ravan, we managed to push back the modern-day evils—illegal infiltrators."

The Chief Minister has not disclosed specific operational details, including the exact locations where the individuals were apprehended or the precise border crossing points used for their return. However, Monday's pushback was confirmed to have occurred in the Sribhumi district.

Assam shares a 267.75-kilometre international border with Bangladesh, spanning the districts of Sribhumi, Cachar, Dhubri, and South Salmara-Mankachar. These border regions have remained flashpoints for concerns over illegal migration and cross-border smuggling activities.

Reaffirming his administration's position, Sarma declared: "Our fight for protecting the interests of Assam and Bharat continues."

The repeated deportations signal the state government's firm stance on border security, though questions about detection methods, verification processes, and coordination with Bangladeshi authorities remain unanswered.