Kolkata: The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has been accused by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of imparting training to a separatist group that has been calling for statehood since independence.

The charge arises out of a probe report submitted by the Inspector General of Police, Jalpaiguri Range, to the Additional Director General (Law and Order) at the state secretariat saying BSF officials in the Cooch Behar district in North Bengal had imparted training to volunteers of the Narayani Sena.

Narayani Sena, an arm of the Greater Cooch Behar People’s Association or GCPA, has been known to demand a separate state of Greater Cooch Behar on ethnic grounds for Rajvanshi tribe. The training, according to the report, happened a day after Independence Day, without the knowledge of the state administration.

The Sena is said to be raising militants by picking volunteers in large numbers. Narayani Sena leader Ananta Ray said BSF was only responding to their request to teach them to give a guard-of-honour to BJP MP and junior Union minister S.S. Ahluwalia when he visits the area.

Terming it as a “a deep-rooted conspiracy against the state government”, TMC has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to fuel unrest in the state for political gains.

“It is a deep-rooted conspiracy against the state government. How come BSF is giving training to Narayani Sena and other elements who are involved in smuggling?” senior TMC leader and state parliamentary affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee said.

Leader of the party in the Lok Sabha, Sudip Bandyopadhyay accused the Centre of interfering in the law and order of the state. He accused the BJP of trying to disturb the peace in Bengal. “We will raise this in parliament as to how a national force is being used for political gains,” Roy said.

BSF though have refuted the charges terming it “highly exaggerated and far from ground reality”. A statement issued by Guwahati Frontier of the BSF said that guards at the border in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar border with Bangladesh only providing basic drill training.

“We only guided schoolgoing boys and girls in correct way of doing march-past only for 15 to 20 minutes”.

Political observers see politics in this as TMC is unhappy that BJP has come to a tacit understanding with Ray which may affect their votes in the region.

“There is some understanding between BJP and these forces where both of them are highly critical of illegal immigration from Bangladesh which is a major issue in the border areas of the state,” said Dipak Dhar, a political commentator.