GUWAHATI, March 22: Union home minister Amit Shah raked up the issue of “illegal infiltration” and the threat it posed to Assam if the Congress-All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) were to come to power in the state.
Addressing two rallies in Upper Assam, one at Jonai and the other in chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s constituency – Majuli – on Monday ahead of the first phase state Assembly elections, Shah lashed out at the Opposition for the alliance with the Badruddin Ajmal-led party.
“Can the Congress ally with Ajmal’s AIUDF, which encourages illegal infiltrators, and make Assam influx free? The BJP-led government, on the other hand has in the past five years made the state influx free…not only that, the state government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has ensured that the Kaziranga area is free from infiltrators. Rhino poaching is now a thing of the past,” he said.
The Union home minister further lashed out at the Congress’ “divide and rule policy” while claiming that the BJP believed in taking all communities into confidence.
“Congress has always believed in diving people, be it between Assamese and Bengalis, people in the hills and plains, Upper Assam and Lower Assam….On the other hand, the BJP government has stuck to its policy of “Sab Ka Saath, Sab Ka Vikas, Sab ka Vishwas, ensuring overall development,” he said, while campaigning for the chief minister in Majuli.
Shah also claimed that the BJP government has put an end to agitations and curfews, “in stark contrast to the strikes and bandhs during the tenure of the Congress, during which “bullets were shot at the protesters and several of them have been killed”.
“Bring us to power again, we will also make Assam flood free as a satellite survey will be carried out to ensure that the flood water is diverted to big reservoirs in a scientific manner,” he said.
The Union home minister also claimed that the “Opposition today cannot point a finger at the BJP government in regard to corruption…the BJP government’s zero tolerance towards corruption has ensured the end of corruption .”
Both Jonai and Majuli legislative Assembly constituencies have a sizeable population from the Mising community.
The Union home minister further reminded the electorate of the BJP government constituting the Mising Autonomous Council during the past five years, “an initiative that the Congress never took in their 15-year-long term.”
“If you give us five more years, we will also ensure a separate development board for the Mising community,” he said.
Shah further recalled the development work that has taken place in both Jonai and Majuli, including town water supply schemes to make water available at every home, engineering colleges, funds to upgrade namghars, and getting the process rolling to link the largest river island with Jorhat through a bridge worth about Rs 700crore.