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At a rally in Dhemaji, Amit Shah claimed seven Assam districts are now “dominated by 64 lakh infiltrators,” blaming Congress-era policies. With elections nearing, can BJP’s pitch on demography reshape Assam’s political battle?
Amit Shah flags demographic change in Assam
Dhemaji: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday raised concerns over what he described as major demographic changes in Assam, alleging that seven districts of the state are now dominated by infiltrators. Addressing a public rally in Dhemaji, Shah blamed the Congress for the situation and urged voters to back the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Assembly elections to curb illegal immigration.
Shah claimed that Assam’s demographic balance was significantly altered during the Congress’s two-decade-long rule. According to him, districts that earlier had negligible infiltrator populations now face serious challenges.
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“Our seven districts: Dhubri, Barpeta, Darrang, Morigaon, Bongaigaon, Nagaon and Goalpara have become dominated by infiltrators. In 20 years of Congress rule, these areas now have a population of 64 lakh infiltrators,” Shah alleged, addressing the crowd near the Assam–Arunachal Pradesh border.
He asserted that only the BJP has the political will to stop infiltration and reverse what he called a dangerous trend.
Clarifying his remarks, Shah said he was not calling on citizens to take the law into their own hands. “People do not need to go to the borders with weapons. This responsibility lies with the government,” he said, adding that the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government would handle the issue.
However, he appealed to voters to support the BJP once again in the forthcoming elections. “If you want to stop infiltrators, elect a BJP government again in Assam,” he said.
Highlighting steps taken by the BJP governments at the Centre and in Assam, Shah said multiple measures were being implemented to address what he termed demographic imbalance. He claimed that around 1.26 lakh acres of land had been freed from alleged encroachment during two consecutive BJP terms in the state.
He said these actions were aimed at protecting indigenous communities and preserving Assam’s cultural identity.
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Shah also praised the Mising community, one of Assam’s largest tribal groups, crediting their hard-working culture for preventing the spread of illegal settlements in Upper Assam. “You don’t need to pick up guns. Because of your way of life and hard work, infiltrators have not been able to settle here,” he said, calling their contribution vital to safeguarding the region.
He further alleged that tribal communities struggled to preserve their identity during the Congress era, but said the BJP government was now addressing their concerns. Shah added that the Centre had appointed an interlocutor to engage with the Mising community and work toward resolving their issues.
Assam, which has 126 Assembly seats, is expected to go to polls in March-April this year. The BJP, in power since 2016, is seeking a third consecutive term, while the Congress is looking to reclaim the state.
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