Infiltrators threat to India’s unity, demographic balance, says PM; seeks pledge for their removal

REITERATES CALL FOR NATIONAL UNITY AT RASHTRIYA EKTA DIWAS

- NARESH BISWANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that illegal immigration was endangering India’s demographic balance and called for a nationwide resolve to remove infiltrators, describing them as a “big threat to the country’s unity and integrity”.

Speaking at the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations marking the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at Ekta Nagar in Kevadia, Modi said the challenge of infiltration had persisted for decades, straining national resources and threatening internal harmony. “For decades, infiltrators have been sneaking into the country. They have been occupying and using the resources of our nation. They altered the demographic balance and put the unity of the country at risk,” he said.

The Prime Minister alleged that previous governments ignored this danger for political gains. “The previous governments had closed their eyes to this big threat. They put the security of the country at risk for vote bank politics,” he remarked. Modi said the current government had decided to confront the issue head-on. “For the first time, the country has decided to wage a decisive battle against this threat. I had announced the Demography Mission from the Red Fort on August 15, 2025," he said.

He urged the nation to take a collective pledge to rid India of illegal infiltrators. "Those opposing it are not concerned if the country gets divided again. But when the security and identity of the nation are in danger, everyone is affected. So, on this Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, we should take a pledge that we will remove all the infiltrators from Bharat," Modi said.

While he did not name any specific groups, the Prime Minister was referring to concerns about infiltration from Bangladesh and Myanmar, which have raised demographic concerns in Assam, West Bengal, and parts of the Northeast.