1. Short Description
Home Minister Amit Shah accuses Congress of altering Assam’s demography through infiltration, pledging BJP’s efforts to reverse the trend ahead of state elections.
2. Read Time
3 minutes, 10 seconds
3. Main Article
Keywords: Amit Shah Assam, Congress infiltration, BJP government Assam, Assam demography change, Mising community
In a significant pre-election address in Assam, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a sharp critique against the Congress party, alleging it presided over a dramatic demographic shift in the state. Speaking at the Mising Youth Festival in Dhemaji, Shah claimed the population of “infiltrators” surged from zero to 64 lakh during Congress rule, fundamentally altering Assam’s cultural and political landscape. He positioned the upcoming state elections as a pivotal choice for voters, urging them to support the BJP for a third consecutive term to “completely free” Assam from illegal immigration and secure its borders. This rhetoric underscores the BJP’s continued focus on national security and immigration control as central electoral planks.
Shah detailed the BJP government’s record, asserting that two successive terms have enabled the recovery of 1.26 lakh acres of land from encroachment. By framing the contest as one between Congress-era demographic change and BJP-led corrective action, the Home Minister aimed to consolidate the party’s base ahead of the April polls. His appeal to “strengthen the hands” of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma directly ties local governance to the broader national agenda of the BJP-led central government, suggesting that continued state-level control is essential for implementing long-term security and demographic policies.
Crucially, Shah’s speech also highlighted the role of indigenous communities, specifically praising the Mising community for their “culture of hard work” in preventing infiltrators from settling in Upper Assam. This acknowledgment serves a dual purpose: it appeals to tribal voters by recognizing their contribution to regional security, and it reinforces the narrative of local communities as the first line of defense against unauthorized migration. Shah further promised that the BJP remains committed to protecting tribal identities and addressing their concerns, a message aimed at differentiating the party from the Congress, which he accused of failing these communities. This strategic outreach is key to the BJP’s coalition-building in a diverse state.
4. Short Summary
In a key Assam election rally, Amit Shah intensified the BJP’s campaign by accusing the Congress of enabling massive illegal infiltration that changed the state’s demography. He championed the BJP government’s record on land retrieval and border security, while appealing to tribal communities like the Mising as partners in halting migration. The speech sets a clear “security vs. failure” narrative for the upcoming state polls.
