Amit Shah Pledges to Remove Infiltrators from Assam Within Five Years
Union Home Minister Amit Shah delivered a strong political message on Saturday, accusing opposition parties of transforming infiltrators into a dedicated vote bank. Speaking at a public event in Guwahati, Shah declared that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secures another term in the upcoming Assam assembly elections, his government will systematically identify and deport all infiltrators from the country within the next five years.
Firm Resolve Against Infiltration
Shah emphasized that Prime Minister Narendra Modi possesses the "courage, determination, and firm resolve" necessary to liberate the nation from the threat of infiltrators. He argued that removing these individuals requires the full support of the state government, which he claimed would be impossible if opposition parties regain power in Assam.
"The support of the state government is essential to remove infiltrators, which would never be possible if the opposition party comes to power," Shah stated unequivocally during his address.
Electoral Roll Purification and Opposition Resistance
The Home Minister highlighted that the Election Commission is currently conducting a Summary Revision (SIR) to help identify infiltrators on electoral rolls. However, he accused the Leader of the Opposition of launching an agitation against this crucial process. Shah expressed confidence that "the country will certainly be freed from infiltrators", drawing parallels with the government's success in reducing Naxalism across India.
"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," he proclaimed.
Symbolic Venue and Land Reclamation
Shah's speech took place at the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Assam Police 10th Battalion headquarters at Kachutoli, near Guwahati. This location holds significant symbolic value as it sits on land that was recently freed from encroachers in 2024. The Home Minister revealed that during previous opposition rule, infiltrators had encroached upon 174 bighas of land in this area.
"During the rule of the opposition party's government, infiltrators had encroached upon 174 bighas of land, which has now been freed from their possession by the present Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, and today's programme is being held on that very land," Shah explained.
He described the establishment of the police battalion at this site as particularly meaningful: "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."
Threat to Development and Demography
The Union Minister asserted that land occupied by infiltrators had posed a major threat to Guwahati, Assam, and the entire country, characterizing their presence as "a serious challenge to the development of Assam." He claimed that during previous administrations, infiltrators entered the region in such numbers that they pushed Assam's demographic situation to dangerous levels.
Shah specifically blamed the opposition for several districts becoming infiltrator-dominated, naming Dhubri, Barpeta, Morigaon, Darrang, Bongaigaon, and Nagaon as areas where this transformation occurred under their watch.
Accomplishments and Future Pledges
The Home Minister praised Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's administration for reclaiming nearly 1.45 lakh bighas of land from infiltrators and providing government jobs to more than 1.4 lakh people in Assam without corruption. Building on these achievements, Shah issued a firm pledge for the future: "If our government is formed again in the next five years, we will identify and deport every infiltrator from the country."
Vote Bank Politics and Cultural Threats
Shah alleged that infiltrators have become a reliable vote bank for opposition parties, declaring that once BJP forms government again, "within the next five years we will remove infiltrators not only from the electoral rolls but also from the country."
He further accused the opposition of endangering Assam's cultural identity by allowing infiltrators to enter and occupy fertile land. "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 also put its cultural heritage at risk," Shah concluded, framing the issue as both a security concern and a cultural preservation imperative.
