“Used to be a handkerchief, now it’s a cat!” — who knew the famous line from Sukumar Ray’s poem would come true in this manner? Ever since news spread that SIR would be implemented in Bengal, allegations began surfacing that Bangladeshi infiltrators, fearing removal from the electoral rolls, were changing their religious identity. Now that allegation appears to have some truth, as revealed through multiple advertisements published in the name–surname change section of a Bengali newspaper.

According to those advertisements, several members of one Muslim family have changed their surnames and adopted Hindu surnames, which has triggered major controversy. Can someone legally change their religious identity merely through a declaration in court? That question is now being raised. Lawyers and Hindu religious leaders claim this is an anti-national conspiracy aimed at granting illegal citizens a path to legitimacy.

On 10 November, one of the classified advertisements published in the newspaper showed that Sekh Nishani, husband of Sekh Sukumar, residents of Senhati Rajhati Bandar, Khanakul, Arambagh, Hooghly district, executed an affidavit on 4 June before the Arambagh Notary Public (affidavit number 1880), adopting the Hindu surname Patra. Another advertisement showed that Sekh Mina, wife of Badel, with affidavit number 1876 executed on the same date, also became Mina Patra.

Illegal Muslim infiltrators in India are hiding beneath........

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