Raking up the issue of infiltration of Bangladeshis in Assam, BJP president Amit Shah today accused the ruling Congress of not stopping it and using the illegal migrants as its vote bank.
"Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are coming here (to campaign for the Assam Assembly elections) ... I challenge the Congress president to say she will stop Bangladeshi infiltration ... She won't say it.
"Congress is using the Bangladeshi infiltrators as its vote bank," Shah told a poll rally here.
The infiltration problem would end in Assam once a BJP government is formed here, he said, adding, "We will seal the Bangladesh border and no infiltrator will be able to step in here.
"Bangladeshi infiltration problem is not only of Assam but of the entire country," he said.
"I want to ask Rahul Gandhi where was Assam put by Congress at the time of Independence and Partition ? Jawaharlal Nehru had put Assam as Category D state," Shah said contending that Mahatma Gandhi and Gopinath Bordoloi(Assam's first chief minister) kept Assam within India.
During the Chinese aggression in the 1960s it was Nehru's responsibility to stand with his soldiers and the people of Assam but he addressed the nation over All India Radio saying 'good bye Assam, good bye Assam'.
The Indian soldiers fought bravely and kept Assam within the Indian map, he said.
(reop CAL3)
Shah said Bangladeshi infiltrators were snatching away the jobs of the locals and as a result unemployment was high in Assam.
"As long as Congress government continues here, the infiltrators will never be stopped as they are used as its (Cong's) vote bank," he said.
The BJP president said though Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal were publicly fighting each other, but at night they were making plans to form government together.
Continuing his tirade against Congress, Shah said despite Assam voting Gogoi to office thrice and sending former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Rajya Sabha for 10 years, there was no development in the state.
"Bangladeshi infiltration continues, one crore people remain below the poverty line, there is no electricity to 30 per cent of households, flood problem continues and there is shortage of drinking water supply."
"The Centre sends money to the state for development projects but the Congress government did not work for Assam ... Search for the money and you will find it in the Congressman's house," the BJP leader claimed.
On the educational front in the state, he said there are no good facilities and even Gogoi sent his son abroad to study and appealed to the people to vote for BJP as the party wants to bring development to Assam.
Shah echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in mentioning Gogoi's advancing age.
"Tarun Gogoi looks tired on television while delivering his speeches.
"Let him rest and allow a youth - Sarbananda Sonowal - a chance to be the chief minister and there will be anand (happiness) in Assam," he added.
(REOP CES13)
Later addressing another poll rally at Naoboicha, Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants the development of Assam and the people should elect a government that can work with him.
"Narendrabhai has called to free the entire nation from Congress rule and time has come to free Assam from the clutches of Congress and help him to make Assam a leading state of the country," he said.
The BJP president also urged the people to help the party build a state as dreamt of by legendary singer Bhupen Hazarika.
"Bhupen Hazarika's songs were famous not only in Assam but in the entire country and even in Gujarat. In one of his songs he wanted to build a new Assam and we are committed to make it a state of his dreams."
Hazarika, he said, had always rooted for creating a new society and "Time has come in Assam to root out the old and bring in the new."
Hazarika had represented Naoboicha as an independent in the state assembly from 1967-1972.
