Amit Shah promised to develop the Bodoland region in Assam at the same pace as Gujarat. (File Photo)
In his second rally in Assam ahead of the assembly elections, BJP chief Amit Shah unleashed what is perhaps the most potent card, claiming the BJP will stop illegal infiltration in Assam if voted to power once.
Infiltrators from Bangladesh have spread across the state, Mr Shah said at the rally Kokrajhar, the headquarters of the Bodoland Territorial Council, which is an autonomous body that governs over the Bodoland region of Assam. "They have infringed upon the rights of local youths, the local people from tea gardens or Hindi-speaking community or Bodos, everyone is under threat... "The BJP is determined not to let the illegal infringe upon the rights of people in Assam and the Bodoland region."
Illegal migration from Bangladesh is a prickly issue in Assam and this was not the first time the BJP chief has spoken of it, but the time and the place was significant.
Since 1971, the region - spread over four districts -- had seen fierce ethnic violence between Muslim settlers from Bangladesh and the indigenous Bodo tribals. Despite the peace accord signed in 2003 between the NDA government at the Centre, the state and the Bodoland Liberation Tigers, the area is divided and ethnic lines and has seen periodic clashes.
Recently the Bodoland Peoples' Front, or BPF, of militant-turned-politician Hagrama Mohilary, which had formed a pre-poll alliance with the BJP, organised a massive celebrations for 13th anniversary of the Bodo accord.
The 12 seats of the area are currently under BPF and the BJP-BPF alliance is eyeing the tribal and non-Muslim votes in Bodoland.
In an oblique reminder of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government's contribution, Mr Shah said, "The Bodoland accord has been very successful".
Promising to develop the region at the same pace as Gujarat, Mr Shah said, "The BPF had asked Centre for a 1,000 Cr package for development of BTC region. I can assure you Centre will give more than 1,000 crore."
The BJP, Mr Shah said, was the only party which can stop the menace of infiltration of illegal migrants - not only a key main socio- political issue in Assam but one seen as a "security threat".