New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday took aim at the Congress’ rule in Assam for many years, accusing the party of infiltration and claiming that it “opened our borders to infiltrators” in what he termed “an attempt to change the demography of the state”. He also drew comparisons with the current BJP government under the Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarmapraising his “work clearing hundreds of thousands of acres of land occupied by infiltrators.”Addressing a rally in Assam, Shah strongly criticized the Congress party’s record, saying: “Assam is plagued by two problems: infiltrators are usurping the rights of Assamese people…These Congress governments are opening our borders to infiltrators. Infiltrators continue to enter Assam.” There are attempts to change the demography of Assam by taking away jobs from Assam’s youth, food from the poor and land from villages.“Shah further praised the Sarma-led government and said, “In the second five years, our Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma worked hard to clear and clear hundreds of thousands of acres of land occupied by infiltrators. Now, the third election is coming. Once again, a BJP government is being formed here. I assure you that we will repatriate every infiltrator who entered during the Congress regime.”He also highlighted the infrastructure development under the BJP, saying, “The Congress ruled for many years but it did not help the development of Assam. What the Congress could not do in fifty years, we have done in ten years. In the last five years, Assam has built 14 kilometers of roads every day… Almost hundreds of bridges have been built, including four new major bridges.”Notably, CM Himanta Sarma was a member of the Congress government in Assam. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2015 after a tense relationship with the party and later succeeded his BJP colleague as chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal.At the same time, Shah also launched the second phase of Assam’s Vibrant Villages Scheme, which will cover 1,954 border villages in 15 states and two Union Territories. The press conference was held in Cachar district.Earlier in the day, the Union Home Minister arrived in the state on a two-day visit to launch border infrastructure projects and address a public rally.
