Check infiltration in Assam: BJP

Agartala, Nov 22 (IANS) If infiltration is not checked, one day a Bangladeshi will become the chief minister of Assam, BJP president Nitin Gadkari warned Thursday. He also took a dig at the Congress by calling it a “maa−beta” (mother−son) party.

“The infiltration from Bangladesh has been unchecked in northeastern states, especially in Assam,” Gadkari said, while addressing the ‘Janajagaran Samabesh’ (mass awareness gathering) here.

He said that in 11 of the 27 districts of Assam, the infiltrators had outnumbered the native people.

“The number of infiltrators in Assam is fast rising,” said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president.

Slamming the Congress, he said: “Congress has become a ‘maa−beta’ (mother−son) party, it has no vision.”

Claiming that the Congress−led United Progressive Alliance government was virtually in the intensive care unit, he said that despite the 57−year rule of the Congress at the centre the country was still fighting poverty.

“Wrong policies and corruption … of the UPA government have further increased poverty in India,” Gadkari said.

Claiming that the BJP−led alliance would come to power at the centre in 2014, Gadkari said their government would ensure that capitals of all the northeastern states get broad−gauge railway connectivity. Only Assam and Tripura have the facility at present.

“There is inadequate rail and road network in the northeast … even though there are huge resources in the industry−starved region,” the BJP leader said.

Gadkari arrived here Wednesday night and held meetings with state party leaders for a campaign ahead of the assembly elections likely in February next year.

Comparing the BJP−ruled Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh with other states, Gadkari said: “Like Congress−ruled states, Left−ruled states have also remained heavily underdeveloped.”

IANS 2012-11-22 17:30:06