‘India can’t be dharamshala’: Gadkari flags infiltration, backs BJP's Assam win
The Union Minister added that the party’s opposition is directed at infiltration & not at any religious community
New Delhi/Dispur, Apr 5: With the Assam Assembly elections around the corner, senior BJP leader and Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday struck a calibrated political note, asserting the party’s opposition to “infiltrators” while insisting it is not against Muslims, as he expressed confidence of a BJP victory in the state.
“I strongly believe that we will win in Assam,” Gadkari said, underlining that the BJP’s approach is to “take everyone together, irrespective of religion”.
He added that the party’s opposition is directed at infiltration and not at any religious community.
The messaging assumes significance in Assam’s politically sensitive landscape, where identity and migration remain enduring electoral flashpoints.
Gadkari reiterated that India cannot accept illegal entrants as it would turn the country into a “dharamshala”, while maintaining that those with shared heritage could be given refuge under constitutional provisions.
Alongside the identity pitch, Gadkari foregrounded the BJP’s development plank, pointing to large-scale infrastructure investments across the Northeast.
“Projects worth around Rs 5 lakh crore are being rolled out in the region, including Assam,” he said.
Of this, infrastructure works valued at about Rs 1.5 lakh crore have already been completed, while projects worth Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh crore are under implementation, with another Rs 2 lakh crore in the pipeline, he added.
These investments, particularly in road transport, highways and logistics, are aimed at improving connectivity and accelerating economic growth in a region long constrained by infrastructural gaps, he said.
The BJP’s Assam campaign has leaned heavily on this development narrative, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma government projecting its governance record and welfare initiatives to seek a fresh mandate.
Reiterating the party’s ideological positioning, Gadkari said inclusivity remains central to the BJP’s policy framework, emphasising “unity in diversity” and support for constitutional rights across communities.
Polling in Assam is scheduled for April 9, placing Sarma-led government’s record under sharp electoral scrutiny.
PTI