Amit Shah Accuses Opposition of Using Infiltrators as Vote Bank, Pledges Deportation if BJP Wins Assam
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, speaking in Guwahati on Saturday, launched a sharp attack on the opposition, accusing them of turning infiltrators into a vote bank. He declared that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) returns to power in Assam in the upcoming assembly elections, infiltrators will be systematically removed from the electoral rolls and deported from the country within five years.
Firm Resolve to Secure Nation from Infiltrators
Shah emphasized that Prime Minister Narendra Modi possesses the courage, determination, and firm resolve to free the country's land from infiltrators. He stressed that the support of the state government is essential for this mission, a scenario he claimed would be impossible if the opposition party comes to power. The Election Commission is currently conducting a Summary Revision to help identify infiltrators, but Shah noted that the Leader of the Opposition has launched an agitation against this process.
He asserted, "The country will certainly be freed from infiltrators. Under our government, the country is becoming free from Naxalism, and in the same way, Assam and the entire nation will also become free from infiltrators."
Historical Encroachments and Current Reclamations
The home minister was speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Assam Police 10th Battalion headquarters at Kachutoli, near Guwahati. This land, freed from encroachers in 2024, was previously occupied by infiltrators during the rule of the opposition party's government. Shah highlighted that 174 bighas of land had been encroached upon, but it has now been reclaimed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
"At the very place from where security challenges had once emerged, the 10th Battalion of the Assam Police—which will eliminate those challenges—is now being established," Shah stated. He added that the land occupied by infiltrators posed a major threat to Guwahati, Assam, and the entire country, and their presence was a serious challenge to Assam's development.
Demographic Threats and Opposition Responsibility
Shah accused the previous government of allowing infiltrators to enter the region, pushing Assam's demographic situation to a dangerous level. He held the opposition party directly responsible for several areas—such as Dhubri, Barpeta, Morigaon, Darrang, Bongaigaon, and Nagaon—becoming infiltrator-dominated. By allowing infiltrators to enter, the opposition party handed over Assam's fertile land to them, which harmed the identity of the Assamese community and put its cultural heritage at risk.
He underlined that the opposition had damaged all three pillars of Assamese society: jati, mati, bheti (identity, land, homeland). Shah also criticized the IMDT Act of 1983, passed by the opposition party in Assam, claiming it was enacted with the sole objective of facilitating infiltrators. He argued that until Assam's land is freed from infiltrators, the state cannot remain secure, nor can its culture, language, and literature be protected.
Achievements and Future Pledges
Highlighting the current government's efforts, Shah noted that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has freed nearly 1.45 lakh bighas of land from infiltrators and provided government jobs to more than 1.4 lakh people in Assam without corruption. He issued a firm pledge: "If our government is formed again in the next five years, we will identify and deport every infiltrator from the country."
Shah alleged that infiltrators had become a vote bank for the opposition and declared, "Once our party's government is formed, within the next five years we will remove infiltrators not only from the electoral rolls but also from the country." He accused the opposition of endangering Assam's identity and doing nothing for the state's interests, culture, or development.
Vision for Assam's Future
In his concluding remarks, Shah called for the formation of the BJP government again to build an Assam free from insurgency, poverty, and unemployment—and one that is developed and flood-free. He emphasized that this vision is crucial for safeguarding Assam's security and cultural heritage against the threats posed by infiltrators.
