‘Will remove infiltrators from Assam, one by one’: Shah’s hard pitch in Sribhumi

Guwahati, Apr 7: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Tuesday, launched a sharp attack on the Congress, while addressing a massive election rally in Patharkandi in Sribhumi district.

Asserting that only the BJP can safeguard the state from illegal infiltration and preserve its cultural identity, Shah said that the BJP government has already identified infiltrators and they would be “removed one by one” if the party returns to power.

“With BJP-NDA governments in Assam, West Bengal and Tripura, infiltration will be completely stopped,” he declared. West Bengal is going to two-phased polls on April 23 and 29.

He alleged that illegal migrants were taking away jobs, ration benefits and wages meant for local youth, poor families and tea garden workers in Assam.

Targeting Congress, Shah accused the party of indulging in “vote bank politics” by supporting infiltrators.

“Congress is indulging in appeasement politics and has failed to act decisively on illegal immigration, which has long impacted Assam’s demographic and socio-political landscape. Safeguarding the state’s identity and resources remains central to the BJP’s electoral agenda,” he told the gathering.

Shah added that past Congress governments weakened legal safeguards by scrapping the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act of 1950 and introducing the IMDT Act in 1983, which he claimed gave shelter to illegal migrants.

He also criticised the grand old party for opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), saying it was necessary to protect persecuted minorities.

The Home Minister further said that the BJP alone had the commitment to rename Karimganj as “Sribhumi”, linking it to the region’s cultural heritage.

In a personal attack, Union Minister Shah took aim at Rahul Gandhi, saying that the Congress under his leadership had declined in public discourse and would not be allowed to turn Assam into an “infiltration-prone state”.

He asserted that the BJP remained committed to protecting Assam’s land, identity and economic interests, while urging voters to reject what he termed Congress’ divisive and appeasement-driven politics. Shah said Assam was set to grant the BJP a landslide victory to root out infiltration.

IANS