Won’t allow any infiltrator to live in Assam: Amit Shah

The Asian Age.  | manoj anand

India, All India

A delegation of Assam BJP is also meeting the Union home minister to discuss the situation arising after the publication of NRC in Assam.

Union home minister Amit Shah (Photo: ANI twitter)

Guwahati: Union home minister Amit Shah here on Sunday said that the BJP government would not allow even a single infiltrator to live in Assam.

In his first remark on the just concluded process of updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, Mr Shah said, “A phase of updating the NRC has come to an end within the stipulated time frame. Many people are raising various questions but I want to make it clear that not a single infiltrator would be allowed to live in Assam by the Government of India. I want to say this much only on the NRC today,” said Mr Shah while addressing the 68th plenary session of the North East Council.

He also asked the chief ministers of northeastern states to resolve long pending inter-state border disputes. “If we can settle border dispute between India and Bangladesh, why can’t we resolve the inter-state border disputes. The time has come that we need to rise above all these small disputes and start contributing each other in the growth story of the region,” said Mr Shah while asserting that northeastern states have registered a drastic fall in terrorism and unlawful activities. “We are still open to welcome all those remaining misguided youth who are willing to lay down arms,” said Mr Shah, who also warned that his government would continue to follow the policy of zero tolerance against all the armed rebel groups.

Equating the drastic change in scale of insurgency related violence and crimes in between 200 and 2018, Mr Shah said that focus of BJP government would be to accelerate the growth of northeastern states to enhance their contribution in the national GDP. Pointing out that northeastern states were the highest contributor in the national GDP in pre-independence period, he said that the Central government has decided to link all the eight northeastern states with air and rail link by 2022. About the highest GDP of northeastern states in pre-independence period, Mr Shah said that connectivity of the region with Kolkata and Dhaka seaport was prime reason but after the division of the country, that connectivity had been lost. He said that the focus of the Narendra Modi government is to restore the connectivity and make the northeastern states a growth engine of the country once again.

Asking to allocate 30 per cent of the total allocation to the NEC for the development of backward villages and areas, Mr Shah said that all the northeastern states should identify their respective priority areas and accordingly fund should be utilised for the development.

Mr Shah, who is here to attend the 68th Plenary of the NEC, is also scheduled to attend the convention of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) on Monday, besides reviewing the law and order situations with senior officials of all the northeastern states.

A delegation of Assam BJP is also meeting the Union home minister to discuss the situation arising after the publication of NRC in Assam. The governors and chief ministers of all eight northeastern states are attending the NEC plenary session.

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