Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today raised the issue of illegal infiltration from neighbouring Bangladesh, alleging a sharp rise in the Muslim population in the state.
He accused the former Congress-led governments of allowing demographic change in Assam during their tenure. He stressed that the state’s overall condition was “not very good” and linked several socio-political challenges to demographic changes over the years.
The CM claimed that a major section of Assam’s Muslim population included illegal migrants from Bangladesh. He went on to claim that only a small percentage of the Muslim population in the state thinks in the interest of the country, alleging that a larger section consists of people who entered the state from across the international border.
Sarma targeted the Congress party for failing to safeguard the states’ borders and demographic balance during their regimes, which led to this migration.
The Chief Minister flagged security issues arising due to the growing population of illegal migrants from Bangladesh in the state. He claimed that such a section could support Bangladesh in any future conflict.
Reiterating that illegal migration remains one of the most serious challenges facing Assam and the Northeast as a whole, Sarma said his government prioritises strict actions to protect the states’ identity, land, and resources. He highlighted that the government has taken several counter-measures, including eviction drives against encroachment. The Assam government has also strengthened border surveillance over the years and updated the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to curb the menace of illegal infiltration from Bangladesh.