Centre working with Assam to tackle infiltration, Bengal not cooperating: Amit Shah

Shah said that while the Centre had made efforts to tackle the problem in neighbouring West Bengal too, the state was not “cooperating.” “On the other hand, Assam is standing like a rock to combat illegal immigration,” he pointed out.

Shah said that the Sarma-led government had also successfully put an end to the menace of cattle smuggling in the state. “Cattle smuggling through Assam to Bangladesh has stopped completely… from here to Hyderabad, all smugglers are scared of the might of the Assam Police.”

He said the six years of BJP rule in Assam led to peace, development and progress. “We have fulfilled a number of our promises made in the manifesto — whether it is ending cattle smuggling, freeing Sattra (Vaishnavite monasteries) land of encroachers, or providing jobs to the youth,” the minister said, adding that 10,700 bighas of Sattra land had been freed of “ghuspetiyas”.

He added that Assam was fast developing as a health hub of the country with a medical college in every district.

Earlier in the day, while conferring the Assam Police with the President’s Colour honour, he expressed confidence that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) would soon be revoked from the entire state. “After eight years of Modi, the (law and order) situation is such that the Act has been lifted from 23 districts in Assam. I am confident that soon AFSPA will be revoked from the entire state,” Shah said.

Speaking at the rally, Chief Minister Sarma said his government worked towards the interest of the “indigenous” people of the state “from Lumding to Gorukhuti to Lahorijan”. He was referring to the eviction drives carried out in various parts of the state to free it from “encroachers”. He also said that his government’s “zero-tolerance policy” against crime had led to fruitful results, including combating the drug-trafficking menace. “In one year, we have confiscated drugs worth over Rs 550 crore,” he said.