Congress shielding anti-nationals, infiltrators: PM Modi in poll-bound Assam

PM Modi inaugurated several projects worth over Rs. 6,500 crores including the Guwahati Ring Road, a new bridge over the Brahmaputra and a medical college in Darrang district.

Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Opposition Congress of siding with the "anti-nationals" and "infiltrators" to protect its vote bank while asserting that BJP and its allies would continue to act against the "designs of the infiltrators."

"Congress stands with ideologies and forces which are anti-India, just for their vote bank. We have seen during Operation Sindoor when instead of supporting our forces, Congress stood with the Pakistan army. They sided with the forces that backed terrorists. So you have to be very careful about Congress," Modi said while addressing a rally in Mangaldoi in North Assam's Darrang district.

Modi inaugurated several projects worth over Rs. 6,500 crores including the Guwahati Ring Road, a new bridge over the Brahmaputra and a medical college in Darrang district.

BJP leaders said Modi's rallies were part of the ruling party's preparation for the Assembly elections in Assam slated early next year. BJP has set its target to retain power in Assam for the third straight term.

Fight against infiltrators

Accusing Congress of shielding the "infiltrators", Modi referred to the anti-foreigners movement in Assam (between 1979-1985) that had started from Mogoldoi.

"But the earlier government punished you for your fight against the infiltrators. They allowed the infiltrators to encroach the land of our farmers and the tribal brothers. But the BJP government will never allow the infiltrators to stay in our land," he said.

Extending his support to the ongoing eviction drives being carried out by Himanta Biswa Sarma government, the PM said lakhs of acres of land have been freed from the "infiltrators".

"The infiltration has changed demography in the bordering districts, which is a threat to our nation's security. That is why we have set up a demography commission to save the nation from the designs of the infiltrators. Those protecting the infiltrators will have to face the action," Modi said.

Politics over infiltration

The ruling BJP in Assam is once again banking on the long foreigners issue in Assam to corner the Congress in the run up to the Assembly elections slated next year.

Home Minister Amit Shah, who recently visited the state, also endorsed the eviction drive being carried out by the Sarma government and said BJP would remove all "infiltrators" from the country.

This, according to observers, was aimed at further promoting the saffron party among the Assamese and other indigenous communities. Congress says the indigenous people are unhappy with BJP for implementing the CAA. Later, in another function in Golaghat district in eastern Assam, Modi laid the foundation stones of projects worth over Rs. 12,000 crores.

This included the Assam Bio-ethanol Private Limited at the Numaligarh Refinery plant and a Polypropylene plant at Golaghat. In Assamese-dominated Golaghat too, the PM attacked Congress accusing it of shielding the "infiltrators".