Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while inaugurating a major cultural project in Assam on Saturday, issued a strong political pledge, stating that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would make the entire state "free of infiltrators" if voted back to power. The significant declaration came at a site with a contentious history—the birthplace of the 16th-century saint-reformer Srimanta Sankardeva in Batadrava, where a large-scale eviction drive was conducted three years ago.
A Stage of Heritage and Political Resolve
Shah was inaugurating the 'Batadrava Cultural Project,' a prestige initiative of the Assam government developed on 162 bighas of land at an estimated cost of Rs 217 crore. The project, located in Nagaon district, includes a Guru Asana, guest houses, an art centre, a research centre, a skill development centre, and a theatre, all designed with traditional architectural motifs.
This land, however, was at the centre of a major eviction drive in December 2022, which affected 359 Bengali-Muslim families residing on land surrounding the sacred Batadrava Sattra. The issue of encroachment on Sattra lands has been a key identity and political plank for the BJP since its 2016 state election campaign.
"Was it right that these Bangladeshi infiltrators were there in Mahapurush Sankardev’s memorial place?" Shah asked during his address. He thanked Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for "removing infiltrators from this sacred place" and re-establishing a community prayer hall (namghar) there.
"Chun Chun Ke": The Pledge Against Illegal Immigration
Expanding his remarks beyond Batadrava, the Home Minister detailed the state government's broader campaign against illegal encroachment. He claimed that more than 1 lakh bigha of land has been freed from infiltrators across Assam.
He launched a sharp attack on the Congress party, accusing it of encouraging illegal migration for decades. Shah specifically cited the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act of 1983, which he said created a legal pathway for infiltrators to settle. The Act, which placed the burden of proof on the complainant, was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2005.
"On Mahapurush Sankardev’s land today, I want to say, the BJP’s resolution is to find and remove infiltrators chun chun ke (one by one), not just from Assam but from the country," Shah asserted. He framed the issue as a matter of national security and cultural preservation, stating that only the BJP had the resolve to tackle it, unlike parties that view infiltrators as a vote bank.
Accords and the Promise of 100% Implementation
During his speech, Shah also highlighted the central government's success in bringing peace to Assam through a series of accords with insurgent groups. He listed agreements starting with the 2020 Bodo Accord and culminating in the 2023 pact with the pro-talks faction of the ULFA.
Claiming that 92% of the points in these peace agreements have already been implemented, Shah promised that a re-elected BJP government would take this implementation "from 92% to 100%."
Concluding his address with a direct appeal to voters, Shah said, "Give us five more years; we will make all of Assam free of infiltrators." He emphasized that this mission was crucial for protecting both national security and Assam's unique cultural identity.
During his one-day visit to the state, the Home Minister's schedule also included inaugurating a new building for the Guwahati Police Commissionerate, an integrated command and control system, and a separate event to open a 5,000-seater auditorium in Guwahati.
