State can't avoid responsibility in passport process: Siddharth Nath Singh

Countering the ruling Trinamool Congress charge that central agencies have failed in checking infiltration from Bangladesh, BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh today said the state government could not avoid responsibility as verification for passports was done by local police.

"It is true that Central agencies guard borders and issue passports and visas, but it the state police which conductsverification of applicants for passports," Singh told a rally here.

"The state government cannot avoid its responsibility in the entire process of issuing passports," he said.

"Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will have to answer a lot on this infiltration issue in the 2016 Assembly Election", he said.

Earlier, Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee had said that it was the duty of BSF to guard borders and central agencies issued passports and visas. Thus checking of infiltration was the sole responsibility of the Centre.