By With Assam heading toward another high-stakes Assembly election, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has placed the issue of alleged infiltration at the centre of the BJP’s political pitch. Addressing a public gathering in Guwahati on Saturday, Shah declared that if the BJP returns to power in the state, it will identify and deport “every infiltrator” within five years, while also removing their names from electoral rolls.
The statement sharpens the party’s campaign narrative in a state where questions of identity, migration and land rights have shaped politics for decades. By linking border security with electoral integrity, Shah framed the issue not only as a demographic concern but as one tied directly to governance and development.
Speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Assam Police’s 10th Battalion headquarters at Kachutoli, Shah accused opposition parties of nurturing infiltrators as a vote bank. He argued that strong coordination between the Centre and the state government was essential to tackle the issue, suggesting that such efforts would stall if the opposition came to power.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the courage and determination to free the country from infiltrators,” Shah said, adding that just as the government claims to be reducing Naxal influence in other parts of India, it is committed to addressing infiltration in Assam and beyond.
The choice of venue was politically symbolic. Shah noted that the land on which the new battalion headquarters will stand had previously been under encroachment. According to him, 174 bighas were cleared in 2024 under the state government led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. “From a place that once posed a security challenge, a force will now rise to eliminate such challenges,” he remarked.
He further alleged that infiltration during previous administrations had altered the demographic balance in certain districts, naming Dhubri, Barpeta, Morigaon, Darrang, Bongaigaon and Nagaon as areas heavily affected. The opposition, he claimed, bore responsibility for what he described as a “dangerous” demographic shift.
Shah also highlighted the state government’s claim that nearly 1.45 lakh bighas of land have been freed from encroachment and that over 1.4 lakh government jobs have been provided without corruption. The twin narrative — reclaiming land and generating employment — was presented as proof of administrative resolve.
The Home Minister referenced the ongoing Summary Revision of electoral rolls by the Election Commission, suggesting it would help identify non-citizens. He criticised opposition protests against the exercise, portraying them as resistance to cleaning up the system.
For the BJP, the deportation promise serves both as a security pledge and a rallying cry aimed at consolidating support among indigenous communities concerned about land and cultural preservation. For its opponents, however, the rhetoric raises concerns about due process, communal polarisation and humanitarian implications.
As campaigning gathers momentum, the infiltration debate appears set to dominate Assam’s political discourse once again. Whether Shah’s five-year deadline becomes a governing blueprint or remains campaign rhetoric will depend on the electoral verdict — and the complex legal and diplomatic challenges that such a policy would inevitably entail.
