Illegal immigration national security issue, not election slogan: PM Modi in Assam

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asserted that illegal immigration is not merely an election slogan but a matter of national security, placing the issue at the centre of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign in poll-bound Assam. PM Modi alleged that Congress’s policies had encouraged illegal immigration, leading to land encroachments and job losses. (PTI)Interacting with BJP booth-level workers via the NaMo app, Modi urged them to inform voters about the threats posed by illegal immigrants and steps taken to address the issue. “The issue of illegal immigrants is not just an election slogan. It is an issue that is related to Assam’s identity, and security of the state and the nation. It concerns the land of farmers, the livelihoods of poor and Adivasis and security of women too,” he said. He alleged that Congress’s policies had encouraged illegal immigration, leading to land encroachments and job losses. “I would like to urge all the BJP workers in Assam to collect information on illegal encroachments in your areas and find out the negative impacts that have happened there over the years because of it. Inform people in details about this issue,” Modi said. ALSO READ | Amit Shah urges Assam voters to back BJP to curb infiltration “BJP workers should share videos of people facing harassment from illegal immigrants and tell the public how Congress gave ‘atikraman’ (encroachment) and BJP provided ‘adkihar’ (rights). It is my firm belief that people of Assam want to get rid of encroachments and secure their rights,” he added. The remarks come amid ongoing eviction drives in Assam, where over 49,500 acres of government and forest land have been cleared of alleged encroachments in the past five years. Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that if the BJP returns to power, evictions will expand to another 165,000 acres. Since last year, authorities have also invoked the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950 to ‘push back’ hundreds of declared foreigners to Bangladesh. Responding to the allegations, the Congress denied supporting illegal immigrants and accused the BJP of failing to act despite being in power at the Centre for over a decade and in Assam for years. “For a decade, the double-engine BJP government has turned Assam into a laboratory of broken promises, communal division, and selective development. While Modi ji lectures about peace and progress, the people of Assam have lost their right to speak freely. Young voices are being silenced and sent to jail merely for writing poems, while hardened criminals are being given BJP tickets and candidature. The same party that once cried about infiltration now protects its vote banks,” said Assam Congress senior spokesperson Barnali Phukan. ALSO READ | Assam constituency watch: Dispur turns 3-cornered after BJP candidate change sparks revolt According to a BJP release, PM Modi also highlighted Assam’s shift from instability to “peace, progress, and prosperity” under the double-engine government, citing multiple peace accords, especially in Bodoland. He asked party workers to reach out to beneficiaries of government schemes and maximise voter turnout. BJP national president Nitin Nabin, campaigning in Jagiroad and Bokakhat, echoed the focus on illegal immigration and criticised the Congress. “The people of Assam deserve credit for forming a BJP government, which is now working to show these infiltrators the way out. Some people claim BJP makes tough decisions, but if such decisions are required for the protection of the nation, its security, and the safety of mothers and sisters, the party will not hesitate, as it is accountable to its people,” he said. Modi also held a similar interaction with BJP workers in poll-bound Puducherry, where he contrasted the current NDA’s governance with the earlier Congress-DMK rule, urging cadres to communicate this to first-time voters. Utpal is a Senior Assistant Editor based in Guwahati. He covers seven states of North-East India and heads the editorial team for the region. He was previously based in Kathmandu, Dehradun and Delhi with Hindustan Times.Read More