India, July 19 -- The ongoing eviction drive in the forests of Assam, which the state government claims is to drive out illegal settlers, has become a flashpoint between chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his West Bengal counterpart.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Assam of threatening persecution against people who want to uphold their own mother tongue, in this case Bangla, and called its actions "discriminatory" and "unconstitutional".

Refuting the Bengal CM's claims, Himanta Sarma said what his government is actually resisting is the "unchecked Muslim infiltration" from across the border. He added that in several districts in Assam, Hindus are at the v...