PM: Cong backed illegal immigration in Assam

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Congress of encouraging infiltration in Assam, enabling land encroachment, and aligning with an “anti-India” ideology as he credited the BJP's “double-engine” government for development and a tough stand against illegal immigrants.

- Utpal Parashar

In the last leg of his visit to northeast India, Modi accused the Congress of neglecting the state's development as well as continuing development projects in the state heroes like Lachit Barphukan and Bhupen Hazarika, while saying that the double-engine government was "correcting those mistakes". Modi addressed two separate gatherings in Mangaldai and Numaligarh areas of the Darrang and Golaghat districts of Assam, respectively.

He also inaugurated or laid the foundation stones of projects worth ₹18,530 crore in the health, connectivity and energy sectors.

Modi alleged there was a conspiracy to change the demography in India's border areas, calling it "dangerous for national security", adding that the BJP government will not allow illegal immigrants to take hold of the country's resources or take away the rights of farmers and tribespeople.

"After the Bharatiya Janata Party/National Democratic Alliance governments came to power, we have been taking action against encroachers and the state government here has started a campaign to free those lands. We won't allow illegal infiltration and attempts to change demographic balance in border areas to happen," Modi said during his 45-minute speech in Mangaldai.

"We will not allow anyone to snatch the rights of farmers, youth and Adivasi people...

There are conspiracies in the bordering areas to change the demography with the help of intruders. This is dangerous for national security," he added.