Guwahati: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday attacked the BJP and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of repeatedly raising the issue of infiltration in Assam without taking meaningful action against illegal entrants despite being in power for more than a decade.
Addressing an election rally at Borkhola in Cachar district, Kharge alleged that the BJP has used the infiltration issue for political gain while failing to deport illegal migrants in significant numbers.
“When Amit Shah comes here, he only talks about Bangladeshi infiltrators. But the BJP doesn’t drive these infiltrators out; they nurture them. It only plays politics in their name,” he said.
Kharge claimed that 88,792 illegal migrants were deported from the country between 2005 and 2013 during the Congress-led UPA government, compared to 2,566 between 2014 and 2019 under the Narendra Modi government.
“The BJP, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah just make electoral promises; they do nothing in reality,” he alleged.
The Congress chief also alleged that the BJP misused the 2023 delimitation exercise in Assam to gain electoral advantage.
Kharge further alleged that the Centre had handed over thousands of acres of land in Assam to a corporate house in the name of greenfield projects.
“The BJP government is selling off your lands, forests, water, mines and energy. Therefore, remember that to save the country, the BJP must be removed,” he said.
He also accused the BJP of neglecting Barak Valley over the last 10 years and failing to address recurring issues affecting the region.
Referring to annual floods in Assam, Kharge said the state continues to suffer heavy damage to homes and crops every year without any permanent solution from the government.
“Roads submerged in water, a broken drainage system and severe traffic jams are not development for Silchar. BJP people make all sorts of promises for votes, but in reality, they do nothing,” he said.
Kharge also criticised the Modi government over the implementation of the women’s reservation law, alleging that it had delayed action on the issue for electoral reasons.
Turning his attack towards Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Congress president accused him of being driven by “money, land and power” and alleged corruption under his leadership.
Without naming anyone directly, the Congress chief raised the issue of Sarma’s wife allegedly possessing three foreign passports and owning assets abroad.
“I heard that one woman has three passports. Golden passport, ordinary passport, VIP passport. From where have you got it? It must be revealed,” he said.
“No matter how much Narendra Modi and Himanta Biswa Sarma try to save their seats, they are now just guests in power for a few days,” Kharge asserted.