PM Modi calls infiltration ‘life & death’ issue for Assam | Guwahati News

Guwahati: Cross-border infiltration is “a matter of life and death” issue for Assam, PM Narendra Modi said Monday, urging BJP workers to not let voters forget how the influx of illegal immigrants on Congress’s watch for decades continues to bear down on the state.“Congress’s legacy of encroachment and unrest should be explained to the new generation. The crises arising from this has to be explained, too,” Modi told workers at the Mera Booth, Sabse Mazboot Samvaad programme over the NaMo app.BJP said five lakh-odd party workers assembled at over 4,500 shakti kendras to hear the PM speak.Modi said illegal infiltration “permitted” by Congress spared none – from places of worship and indigenous culture to community land and livelihoods.He asked BJP cadres to gather “complete information” about encroachments in their blocks and districts and explain their impact to the public in detail. “What impact has it had over the past decades? People should be told. You can share videos of victims in your area. We must tell people that Congress patronised encroachment while BJP is reclaiming people’s rights.“I firmly believe the people of Assam want freedom from encroachment,” Modi said.The PM said infiltration wasn’t merely an election issue but one tied to Assam’s identity and national security. “Our effort is to ensure that infiltrators do not snatch the employment of our youth, the land of our poor tribal brothers and sisters, or the honour of our mothers and sisters. The govt is continuously working towards this objective.”Modi contrasted Assam’s “progress” under BJP with the plight of tea garden workers in Bengal, alleging that the Trinamool Congress govt there had blocked central schemes. “If someone compares Assam’s tea gardens with Bengal’s, the difference is clear — Bengal has been left behind. This shows why a double-engine BJP govt is necessary,” he said.He said land deeds for tea garden workers had given these families “a foundation of life, an address, and security for future generations”. He described the joy of handing over pattas as “extraordinary” and urged cadres to organise tiffin meetings inside tea gardens, listen to workers’ concerns and explain govt schemes. “When you listen to their concerns, we are enthused to do more work,” he said.The PM said Assam endured decades of violence before BJP came to govt. “Assam has seen a long period of stability and peace. In the last 10 years, 12 major peace agreements (with various outfits) have been signed.”