Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated in Gandhinagar on Thursday that the government is committed to removing every illegal immigrant from the country. He said the High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC), constituted earlier this week to study 'unnatural demographic changes', will submit its report within a year.
Committee to Address Demographic Changes
Speaking at Sonipur in Gandhinagar district, Shah said, "It is the resolve of our government to remove every illegal immigrant. For this purpose, Prime Minister Modi has constituted the committee, which will study the circumstances behind unnatural demographic changes and suggest solutions, including whether there is a need for a legal framework to deal with illegal immigrants."
West Bengal Elections and Border Security
Regarding the recent West Bengal elections, Shah remarked, "Didi was wiped out." He noted that during the election campaign, the BJP had promised to fence the Bangladesh border if voted to power. "I want to congratulate Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Within seven days of assuming office, he handed over 600 hectares of land to the BSF for fencing the Indo-Bangladesh border. The state government also handed over 121 hectares of 'Chicken's Neck' land to the Union government," Shah said.
The 'Chicken's Neck' refers to the Siliguri Corridor, a narrow stretch of land in northern West Bengal, approximately 60 kilometers long and 20 kilometers wide at its narrowest point. It serves as the only land route connecting eight northeastern states to the rest of India.
Voluntary Return of Infiltrators
Shah claimed that during Mamata Banerjee's tenure as Chief Minister, infiltration occurred daily, but now infiltrators are returning voluntarily. "Today, newspapers are saying that illegal immigrants are returning voluntarily. The West Bengal government has set up detention centers, but we all wish that those who entered illegally would return voluntarily. If they return voluntarily, the state government will not file cases against them; it will instead assist them in returning," the Union minister said. He added, "I am hopeful that before the campaign to identify infiltrators begins, a large number of such people will leave."
BJP's Nationwide Influence
Shah stated that over the past 12 years, Prime Minister Modi has replicated Gujarat's development model across the country, and today the BJP is in power in 80% of India's geographical area. "From Gangotri in Uttarakhand to Gangasagar in West Bengal, the BJP holds sway in the entire belt from where the Ganga flows," he commented.
Tribute to Veer Savarkar
Paying tribute to Veer Savarkar on his birth anniversary, Shah said that Savarkar was a patriot who did not require any government recognition. "Nobody addresses him as Vinayak Damodar Savarkar; everybody refers to him as Veer Savarkar. He is the only freedom fighter who was handed 120 years' imprisonment by the British, and his passion for freedom was instrumental in India's independence," Shah said.
Development Projects in Gandhinagar
Shah laid the foundation stones for development projects worth Rs 340 crore in the Kalol and Gandhinagar (North) assembly constituencies of Gandhinagar. He emphasized that every village must become self-sufficient and that every citizen must enjoy the right to a comfortable life. "By 2029, every village in both the assembly constituencies of the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency will have facilities such as a lake, a garden, and a library," the Union Home Minister, who represents the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, said.
