LAKHIMPUR, April 9: Asserting that China couldn’t encroach a “single inch” of land under the Narendra Modi government, home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday claimed that people will never forget how former PM Jawaharlal Nehru said “bye-bye” to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh during the 1962 Chinese aggression.
Addressing an election rally in Assam’s Lakhimpur, he said the BJP-led government at the Centre secured the country’s border with Bangladesh and stopped infiltration.
“During the Chinese aggression of 1962, Jawaharlal Nehru had said ‘bye-bye’ to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. People of these states can never forget that,” Shah said.
“But now what changed is that under the Narendra Modi government, China could not encroach even a single inch of our land. In Doklam, we stood firm against them for 45 days and forced them to retreat,” he added.
Shah claimed that Assam’s border with Bangladesh was earlier “open for infiltration”.
“Then the Modi government came to power at the Centre, and the Himanta Biswa Sarma’s government was formed here. Now, we can say that infiltration has stopped,” he said.
Taking a swipe at the Congress, he said, “A few days back I saw Rahul Gandhi saying that he is here to save Assam’s culture. I want to ask, what have you done for Assam? Since the days of your grandmother, injustice has been done to Assam. Scores of youths have lost their lives.”
Noting that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA was withdrawn from 80 per cent of areas of the state, he said peace accords were signed with different militant outfits over the last 10 years and 9,000 youths surrendered.
“They signed the (Assam) Accord but did not fulfil the clauses. We signed the Bodo Accord and within two years, all clauses were fulfilled,” Shah said.
He said that it was under Sarma’s government that rhino poaching stopped, encroachers of Kaziranga National Park were cleared and Satra (Vaishnavite monastery) land was freed of encroachment.
Shah also accused the Congress of not giving due recognition to the state’s icons, be it Ahom general Lachit Borphukan, first CM Gopinath Bordoloi, or music maestro Bhupen Hazarika.
Criticising the Congress manifesto, he claimed that it favoured the Muslim personal law.
“Himanta Biswa Sarma has stopped child marriages. In Uttarakhand, there is the UCC,” he said, drawing a comparison with the Congress manifesto.
Questioning Congress’s support for Article 370, he said the entire country considers Kashmir an integral part of India.
Shah alleged that the Congress was responsible for the delay in the construction of the Ram temple, and asserted that it was the decisiveness of the Modi government which ensured that the temple was built in its tenure.
He said the development of the Northeast is central to the overall growth of the nation and urged the people to vote for the NDA candidates in all the seats of the region.
Shah said the Congress-led government had given Rs 1,62,000 crore to the state between 2004 and 2014, while during the BJP’s 10-year rule, Assam got Rs 4,15,000 crore.
“There are two alternatives before you — to vote for the Rahul Gandhi-led INDI Alliance, or vote for Modi-led BJP,” he said, urging people to ensure a third term for the NDA government at the Centre. (PTI)
