At BJYM convention, Shah vows to drive out infiltrators; seeks record mandate

Guwahati, Mar 15: The Veterinary College Ground in Khanapara turned into a sea of young supporters on Sunday as the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP, organised a Yuva Shakti Samaroh in Guwahati.

The convention, attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal among others, was held as the state gears up for the Assembly elections, with the Election Commission of India expected to announce the poll schedule in an hour’s time.

Addressing the gathering, Shah expressed confidence that the BJP would return to power in Assam under Sarma’s leadership with what he described as the party’s “largest ever mandate”.

Urging voters to support the BJP again, Shah also reiterated the party’s stand on illegal immigration.

“The Congress legalised, formalised and normalised infiltration, but the BJP will remove each one of them from the electoral rolls. Rahul Babu can rest assured that not only their names will be removed from the electoral rolls, but they will also be driven out,” Shah said.

He alleged that during the Congress rule, Assam had gained a reputation for violence and that several youths had lost their lives. According to Shah, the Congress leadership was more concerned about the interests of their own families than the welfare of young people.

“The Congress believes in corruption and polarisation by promoting infiltrators, while the BJP focuses on development, removing infiltrators and protecting the interests of poor families,” he said.

Speaking at the event, Union Minister Sonowal highlighted the role of young people in nation-building, saying India’s youth had emerged as a powerful force under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The progressive steps taken by the Prime Minister have enabled young people to pursue their dreams and achieve excellence in different sectors. At the same time, we must remain vigilant and continue our fight against illegal foreigners to ensure the development and security of Assam,” Sonowal said.

Chief Minister Sarma said the massive turnout reflected the aspirations and enthusiasm of the state’s younger generation.

“In my entire political career, I have never seen such a huge gathering of youth coming from different parts of Assam. This reflects the aspirations and energy of the younger generation,” Sarma said.

Highlighting recent developments, Sarma said a series of peace accords signed in recent years had helped bring more than 10,000 youths back into the mainstream. “A few years ago, we could not have imagined that under the leadership of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, six historic peace accords would be signed and more than 10,000 youths would lay down arms,” he said.

The Chief Minister also referred to several major infrastructure projects in the state, including the Dhola–Sadiya Bridge, the Bogibeel Bridge, the upcoming bridge connecting Jorhat and Majuli, bridges at Kaliabor and Narengi–Kuruwa, the elevated corridor over Kaziranga National Park, and the proposed tunnel connecting Gohpur and Numaligarh.

Sarma said Assam is moving towards having 25 medical colleges, while institutions such as AIIMS, IIM and new universities are expanding opportunities for students in the state.

He also spoke about financial support extended to young entrepreneurs. “To help young people establish themselves, we have provided Rs 2 lakh each to one lakh youths. Employment opportunities are now being provided purely on merit, without the need for any bribes,” he said.

Looking ahead to the Assembly elections, Sarma said that if voted to power for a third term, the BJP government would further expand employment and financial assistance programmes.

“If the BJP government returns to power, we promise to create two lakh more government jobs. Our plan is also to extend financial assistance to nearly 10 lakh youths so that they can establish themselves,” he said.

The Chief Minister also referred to eviction drives conducted by the government against alleged encroachments. “We have already cleared around 1.5 lakh bighas of land through eviction drives. In the next five years, we will continue this effort and remove even a single katha of land occupied by infiltrators,” Sarma said.

With inputs from PTI