Sanjay Raut of the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray on Monday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party for repeatedly targeting the Indian National Congress over the issue. He pointed out that the Border Security Force operates under the central government and questioned what action the BJP has taken over the past decade.
Speaking to the media, Raut said that despite being in power at both the Centre and in Assam, the BJP continues to blame Congress. “If they are still raising the same issue after 10 years, it shows failure,” he remarked.
His statement came in response to Amit Shah, who recently alleged that Congress had altered Assam’s demographic structure for vote-bank politics. Addressing a rally in Nalbari, Shah claimed that areas such as Dhubri and nearby regions have witnessed a rise in illegal infiltration over the years.
Shah also accused previous Congress governments of allowing such infiltration to continue unchecked. He credited the current state government led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma with strengthening border control and reclaiming large tracts of land that were allegedly encroached upon.
The issue of illegal immigration has once again emerged as a key political talking point in Assam, with the BJP highlighting it as a major campaign theme. Meanwhile, Congress and its allies have countered these claims, accusing the ruling party of diverting attention from governance-related concerns.
