Guwahati, Aug 29 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday sharpened his attack on the Congress, saying Assam cannot be represented by leaders who make “frequent visits to Pakistan” — a veiled reference to state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi.

Speaking at the NDA Panchayat Pratinidhi Sammelan here, HM Shah asserted that the BJP-led alliance would retain power in Assam for a third straight term, riding on the development push of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

“Assam cannot be represented by people who sympathise with infiltrators and encroachers. Assam cannot be led by people who visit Pakistan frequently,” he remarked, without naming Gogoi. His comments come amid repeated barbs from the BJP and Sarma over Gogoi’s wife Elizabeth Colburn, with the Chief Minister earlier alleging that she had travelled 19 times between India and Pakistan.

The Home Minister underlined that the BJP government has acted decisively against infiltration and encroachment. He said more than 1.29 lakh acres of land had been freed and the sanctity of Vaishnavite monasteries established by Srimanta Sankardeva and Madhavdeva was being protected.

Accusing infiltrators of attempting to gain legitimacy by marrying local women, HM Shah said the state government had launched targeted operations to curb such practices. Positioning the BJP as the only viable force in Assam, he declared that the Congress had been pushed to the margins of state politics. “If you want to find Congress in Assam panchayats, you will not find them even with binoculars,” he quipped, drawing loud applause from the large gathering of panchayat representatives.

The conclave, attended by nearly 20,000 grassroots leaders, also saw HM Shah highlighting how the BJP government has promoted Assam’s cultural heritage at the national level, from honouring Srimanta Sankardeva to organising the 400th birth anniversary celebrations of Ahom general Lachit Borphukan in New Delhi.

By directly linking Congress leaders with Pakistan and infiltrator sympathies, the Home Minister effectively sounded the poll bugle ahead of the Assembly elections due early next year. Party leaders said the remarks set the tone for the BJP’s campaign, combining themes of development, security and cultural pride.

–IANS

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