<p>Guwahati: Endorsing Assam government's eviction drive targeting the Bengali-speaking Muslims, Home Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=Amit%20Shah">Amit Shah </a>on Friday stated that BJP is committed to ensure that no "infiltrators" could stay anywhere in the country. </p><p>"I appreciate Assam government's drive to clear land from the infiltrators. I believe that no infiltrators should stay in the country. Let me assure today that we are committed to ensure that no infiltrators can stay in the country," Shah said while speaking at a function in Guwahati to celebrate the birth centenary of Golap Borbora, who had served as Assam Chief Minister for 18 months between 1978-1979. </p>.'Do we need a wall like America': Supreme Court seeks Centre's reply on illegal immigration, Bengali migrants.<p>Referring to the first revision of the electoral rolls in Assam by Borbora government in 1978, Shah said, "Electoral rolls are the heart of democracy and our election process. Today, I want to ask our youths should any foreigner be allowed to remain in our electoral rolls?"</p><p>Stating that the electoral roll revision is not new in the country and the Election Commission had carried out electoral rolls revision several times in the past, Shah said, "now when the Election Commission is carrying out a special electoral rolls revision in Bihar, Congress party is trying to stop the process. They are trying to shield the infiltrators in order to protect their vote bank and to be in power." </p><p><strong>Anti-foreigners movement: </strong></p><p>Borbora was the first non-Congress CM of Assam and it was during Borbora-led Janata Dal government, a special revision of electoral rolls under Mangaldoi Lok Sabha constituency had detected names of 36,780 "foreigners" in the electoral rolls. </p><p>This detection led to widespread protest by All Assam Students' Union (AASU) culminating into the six-year-long anti-foreigners movement or the Assam Agitation, between 1979-1985. Hundreds had died during the movement till the Rajiv Gandhi government signed the Assam Accord on August 15, 1985. </p><p>The accord later decided March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date only for Assam for detection and deportation of the "illegal migrants" from Assam to neighbouring Bangladesh. After years of agitation by AASU and others, the NRC 1951 was updated between 2013 and 2018. The BJP-led government, which came to power for the first time in Assam in 2016, however, refused to accept the updated draft NRC saying many "foreigners" fraudulently made it to the list. </p><p><strong>Modi mission to detect infiltrators</strong></p><p>The home minister further said the special mission announced by Prime Minister Narendra Mod during the Independence Day function on August 15 this year, to study "demographic changes," would also detect the "infiltrators."</p><p>Earlier in the day, Shah, while addressing a rally of NDA representatives in panchayats across Assam, complimented Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government's drive to clear forests and government land from "infiltrators." </p><p>"Not only the forests but also large swathe of land belonging to the Satras (the Vaishnavite monasteries" have also been cleared from the infiltrators." So far, 1.29 lakh acres of land has been cleared."</p><p>Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the drive would continue till the "lunch inch of land is snatched from the infiltrators." </p><p>"We will snatch the land from the infiltrators and will be given to the indigenous Assamese and the Indians," Sarma said. </p><p>Repeated support to the eviction drive, according to BJP leaders in Assam, made it clear that BJP's campaign for the Assembly polls slated early 2026 would revolve around the "infiltrators" and the strong "anti-foreigners" sentiments among the indigenous Assamese, which has dictated outcomes of elections in Assam since 1980s. </p><p>"Let me tell Rahul Gandhi and Gaurav Gogoi today that the NDA ally comprising BJP and AGP would form the government for the third term in Assam," Shah said. </p><p>The home minister, however, did not name UPPL, another ally in Sarma government. This, according to party insiders, suggested BJP's plan to dump UPPL, which is the lead ally in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) since 2021. BJP has already announced its plan to contest the BTC elections on its own. </p><p>Shah also inaugurated a newly constructed wing of Assam Raj Bhawan in Guwahati and several other projects on Friday morning. </p>
<p>Guwahati: Endorsing Assam government's eviction drive targeting the Bengali-speaking Muslims, Home Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=Amit%20Shah">Amit Shah </a>on Friday stated that BJP is committed to ensure that no "infiltrators" could stay anywhere in the country. </p><p>"I appreciate Assam government's drive to clear land from the infiltrators. I believe that no infiltrators should stay in the country. Let me assure today that we are committed to ensure that no infiltrators can stay in the country," Shah said while speaking at a function in Guwahati to celebrate the birth centenary of Golap Borbora, who had served as Assam Chief Minister for 18 months between 1978-1979. </p>.'Do we need a wall like America': Supreme Court seeks Centre's reply on illegal immigration, Bengali migrants.<p>Referring to the first revision of the electoral rolls in Assam by Borbora government in 1978, Shah said, "Electoral rolls are the heart of democracy and our election process. Today, I want to ask our youths should any foreigner be allowed to remain in our electoral rolls?"</p><p>Stating that the electoral roll revision is not new in the country and the Election Commission had carried out electoral rolls revision several times in the past, Shah said, "now when the Election Commission is carrying out a special electoral rolls revision in Bihar, Congress party is trying to stop the process. They are trying to shield the infiltrators in order to protect their vote bank and to be in power." </p><p><strong>Anti-foreigners movement: </strong></p><p>Borbora was the first non-Congress CM of Assam and it was during Borbora-led Janata Dal government, a special revision of electoral rolls under Mangaldoi Lok Sabha constituency had detected names of 36,780 "foreigners" in the electoral rolls. </p><p>This detection led to widespread protest by All Assam Students' Union (AASU) culminating into the six-year-long anti-foreigners movement or the Assam Agitation, between 1979-1985. Hundreds had died during the movement till the Rajiv Gandhi government signed the Assam Accord on August 15, 1985. </p><p>The accord later decided March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date only for Assam for detection and deportation of the "illegal migrants" from Assam to neighbouring Bangladesh. After years of agitation by AASU and others, the NRC 1951 was updated between 2013 and 2018. The BJP-led government, which came to power for the first time in Assam in 2016, however, refused to accept the updated draft NRC saying many "foreigners" fraudulently made it to the list. </p><p><strong>Modi mission to detect infiltrators</strong></p><p>The home minister further said the special mission announced by Prime Minister Narendra Mod during the Independence Day function on August 15 this year, to study "demographic changes," would also detect the "infiltrators."</p><p>Earlier in the day, Shah, while addressing a rally of NDA representatives in panchayats across Assam, complimented Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government's drive to clear forests and government land from "infiltrators." </p><p>"Not only the forests but also large swathe of land belonging to the Satras (the Vaishnavite monasteries" have also been cleared from the infiltrators." So far, 1.29 lakh acres of land has been cleared."</p><p>Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the drive would continue till the "lunch inch of land is snatched from the infiltrators." </p><p>"We will snatch the land from the infiltrators and will be given to the indigenous Assamese and the Indians," Sarma said. </p><p>Repeated support to the eviction drive, according to BJP leaders in Assam, made it clear that BJP's campaign for the Assembly polls slated early 2026 would revolve around the "infiltrators" and the strong "anti-foreigners" sentiments among the indigenous Assamese, which has dictated outcomes of elections in Assam since 1980s. </p><p>"Let me tell Rahul Gandhi and Gaurav Gogoi today that the NDA ally comprising BJP and AGP would form the government for the third term in Assam," Shah said. </p><p>The home minister, however, did not name UPPL, another ally in Sarma government. This, according to party insiders, suggested BJP's plan to dump UPPL, which is the lead ally in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) since 2021. BJP has already announced its plan to contest the BTC elections on its own. </p><p>Shah also inaugurated a newly constructed wing of Assam Raj Bhawan in Guwahati and several other projects on Friday morning. </p>