Barely two weeks ahead of the first phase of polls in Assam, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and BJP national president Amit Shah on Friday hit the Congress hard by accusing Assam’s ruling party of abetting illegal infiltration from neighbouring Bangladesh and said that the party will not only seal the Indo-Bangladesh Border but also frame strong laws to prevent industries and enterprises from employing these illegal infiltrators in the State.
While Jaitley said this at a function to release the BJP’s vision document 2016-25 in Guwahati, Shah said this on Friday while addressing two public rallies at tea rich Sivsagar district in Upper Assam-also a traditional vote bank of the Congress.
“The Congress Government in Assam has failed to curb the problem of illegal infiltration from across the border. Intiltration from Bangladesh has been taking place for a long time but instead of taking concrete measures, the Congress Government in Assam had always taken soft measures which have encouraged the infiltration. This is a policy of the Congress to create vote banks,” said Jaitley while releasing the Vision Document 2016-25.
“Our priority is the illegal infiltration and detection and deportation of these infiltrators,” he said while adding that the Vision Document, which is a roadmap for progress on all sectors, has also assured that a law would be enacted to deal sternly with industries, business establishments, small and medium enterprises or any other agencies employing infiltrators.
“Vote bank politics of the rival parties are also leading demographic trouble in Assam and today the demography of the State is disturbed due to wrong policies of the ruling Congress,” he added,
“The main intention is to make Assam one of the front raking States and security in all forms has to be ensured in the State. We are committed to solve the vexed Bangladeshi infiltration issue and steps have already been taken for finding a permanent solution in this regard,” Jaitley said.
The Union Minister also rued the infrastructural gaps in the region and said that there is an urgent need to address this issue too for improving infrastructure, particularly the rail and air connectivity, highways etc.
He said that the BJP alliance in Assam will sweep the forthcoming polls. “The core strength of our alliance is the youth and the youth are leading a campaign for change in Assam. The width and geographic spread of the coalition will play a crucial role in achieving victory,” Jaitley added.
He also dismissed the allegations of non-release of funds to the Assam by the Central Government and said that funds have been given to Assam and other States as per the guidelines of finance commissions.
“Assam will get 148 percent more in 2015-2020 fiscal than compared to 2010-15 due to higher tax devotion of 42 percent compared to as 32 percent earlier,” he added.
BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate for Assam polls, Sarbananda Sonowal who was also present on the occasion said that the BJP is committed to ensure constitutional safeguards to the indigenous people of the State.
The BJP national president Amit Shah on the other hand slammed the Congress for failing to curb the illegal infiltration and said that Assam has become a hub of the infiltrators during the last 15 years rule of the Congress Government in Assam.
“If you want to free Assam from the Bangladeshi infiltrators, the people of the State must unite and vote for BJP-led alliance in the forthcoming polls”, Shah added.