Assam Assembly election 2021: 'Infiltration will be thing of the past if BJP gets another term', says Amit Shah in Tinsukia

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday claimed that the BJP-led government in Assam had nearly fulfilled its promise to “liberate” the state from “intruders and terrorists”. Shah, who is on a two-day visit to the poll-bound states of Assam and West Bengal, was addressing a rally in Assam’s Tinsukia district on Sunday. “Five years ago, I, as BJP president, had promised to make Assam ‘andolan mukt’ (agitation-free) and ‘aatankbad mukt’ (militancy-free). We have fulfilled our pledge, and there is no longer any agitation or militancy in the state. Assam is experiencing peace and development. Give us another five years and we will also be able to solve the problem of infiltration,” he said in the rally in the Margherita constituency. Follow LIVE updates on Assembly election 2021 here He also claimed that in the last five years, the BJP has successfully ousted infiltrators who had encroached land at the Kaziranga National Park and occupied plots owned by religious bodies.

LIVE: HM Shri @AmitShah addresses public meeting in Margherita, Assam.#BJPOnceMoreInAssam
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— BJP (@BJP4India) March 14, 2021

Shah was campaigning for BJP candidate Bhaskar Sarma. The state will see a three-phased election on 27 March, 1 April, and 6 April. Hailing Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and state minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for running a “corruption-free” administration for five years, Shah flayed the Congress and said that the party “can go to any lengths to win the polls.” Referring to the Congress’ tie-up with Badruddin Ajmal’s AIUDF, the Union minister accused the Opposition party of “aligning with those willing to divide nation”. “The BJP does not believe in vote-bank politics. Assam cannot be safe in the hands of Ajmal. People of Assam can decide who is more concerned about their welfare — Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Badruddin Ajmal. I promise to the people of Assam that infiltration will become a thing of past if we win again,” Shah added. He also alleged that the Congress, despite “ruling the state for 15 years and having a prime minister who was a representative of the state”, did nothing to solve the issue of illegal immigration from neighbouring countries. Shah was referring to former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who has represented Assam in the Upper House of Parliament. In a jibe at Congress leaders, who promised benefits to tea garden workers if elected to power, he said the party remembers these labourers only during elections. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already taken several initiatives to improve the lives and working condition of the tea garden workers,” he added. Listing out the Centre’s welfare schemes for Assam, Shah said that the government has allotted Rs 12,000 crore for pregnant women working in tea estates, and claimed that over 47,000 women have already availed to this benefit and that the amount is going to be raised to Rs 18,000 crore. “Under POSHAN, 6.46 lakh families have received affordable food grains. The Centre has provided 130 mobile medical units to serve in 445 tea estates. Over 40 lakh tea plantation workers have used these services,” he added. Shah also addressed the rampant issue of floods in Assam and said that the BJP will “free the state from the disastrous effects of floods” if voted to power again. “Floods are a major problem for Assam. I assure the people of Assam that if we come to power, we will free the state from the disastrous effects of floods. “With help of satellite imaging, we’ve done a survey of the entire Northeast and have prepared a mapping of how to convert these floods into ponds and other water reservoirs,” he said. With inputs from PTI