Guwahati: Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that unlike West Bengal its neighbouring state Assam has tackled the issue of illegal migration with strong determination.
Heaping praises on the BJP-led Assam government for ‘tackling’ illegal migration, Shah said.
“Assam is fighting the issue of illegal migration with strong determination, which has started to show results as there has been a drastic decrease in illegal infiltration,” Amit Shah said.
Shah made this statement while addressing a rally in Guwahati on the occasion of completion of one year of the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led BJP government in Assam.
Shah lambasted the West Bengal government for “not cooperating with the centre” on the matter of infiltration from Bangladesh.
“Data shoes that in the last six years, infiltration has decreased and we hope to put a complete end to it soon,” Shah had said while visiting border areas in Mankachar in Assam on Monday.
Notably, illegal migration from Bangladesh into Assam has been an important political issue in the state since the 1980s. The historic Assam agitation was due to the problem of influx from Bangladesh.
Led by the influential All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), the protestors demanded the identification and deportation of all illegal foreigners – predominantly Bangladeshi immigrants.
They feared that past and continuing large scale migration was overwhelming the native population, impacting their political rights, culture, language and land rights.
Earlier in the day Shah said due to the improved security scenario in the North-Eastern states the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) could be lifted in the states of Nagaland, Assam and Manipur after decades of insurgency.
“AFSPA was always a major issue of concern for the common masses. In the last seven years of NDA rule security situation has improved drastically which resulted in the removal of AFSPA from Nagaland, Manipur and 23 districts of Assam,” Shah said while addressing the Assam police personnel after presenting the President’s Colour to the Assam Police for its exemplary service during the last 25 years.
Shah was on a two-day visit to Assam which ended on Tuesday. During his two-day stay, he visited the Indo-Bangladesh border, laid the foundation stone of an ordnance factory in Tamuplur district in Bodo Territorial Region, and inaugurated state of the art facility government hospital at Guwahati and attended the one year anniversary celebration of second BJP led government in Assam.
