Amit Shah campaigns for Sonowal in Majuli; rakes up illegal influx threat

GUWAHATI:

Union Home Minister Amit Shah again reiterated the “illegal infiltration” threat to Assam in the wake of the Congress’ alliance with All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) ahead of the state Assembly polls.

Shah said this while addressing two rallies in Upper Assam on Monday, one at Jonai and the other in Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s constituency – Majuli.

Lashing out at the Opposition for the alliance, Shah said, “The alliance will only open the gates for illegal infiltrators to enter Assam and encourage them to settle down in the state.”

“Can the Congress ally with Ajmal’s AIUDF, which encourages illegal infiltrators, make Assam influx free? But the BJP-led government 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 also free from infiltrators. Rhinos which had earlier fallen prey to poachers are now protected,” he said.

Shah further slammed the Congress’ “divide and rule policy” while claiming that the BJP, “on the other hand” believed in taking all communities along the growth path and taking them into confidence.

“Congress has always believed in dividing 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.

Shah also referred to the BJP government making Assam agitation-free, “in stark contrast to the strikes and bandhs during the Congress, during which “bullets were shot at the protesters”.

“But the BJP government has ushered in an ambience sans andolan (protests) and curfew in the past five years,” he claimed, adding, “Bring us to power again, we will make Assam flood-free as a satellite survey will be carried out to ensure that the floodwater is diverted to big reservoirs in a scientific manner”.

The Union Home Minister also claimed that the “Opposition today cannot point a finger at the BJP government on corruption…the BJP government’s zero-tolerance towards corruption has ensured an end to corruption.”

Both Jonai and Majuli have a decent population from the Mising community.

Shah also claimed that the Mising Autonomous Council was constituted during the past five years, “an initiative not taken by the Congress in their 15-year-long term".

“If you give us five more years, we will ensure a separate development board for the Mising community,” he said.

Shah further listed the developments that have taken place in both Jonai and Majuli, including town water supply schemes, engineering colleges, funds to naamghars, and the process to link the largest river island with Jorhat through a Rs 700-crore worth project to set up a bridge, etc.

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