Guwahati, Sep 1 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday asserted that Bengali-speaking Hindus have enjoyed the “most comfortable” environment in the state during the Bharatiya Janata Party’s decade-long rule.

He credited his government with addressing long-pending grievances of the community while simultaneously tightening vigilance against illegal migration.

Speaking to reporters in the Sribhumi district after a programme, Sarma said his government had “systematically resolved” issues affecting Hindu Bengalis.

“We ensured that Aadhaar cards were restored to them, and no fresh citizenship-related cases are being filed against them,” he stated.

The CM claimed that under BJP rule, the government had foiled multiple attempts by Bangladeshi nationals to cross the border illegally.

“No previous government has done as much as we are doing. But every step has to follow due process, otherwise the court will strike it down,” he said.

Sarma stressed that the differences between Assamese and Bengali-speaking communities have “died down,” adding, “Today Hindus identify themselves by religion rather than language.”

On the scale of infiltration, he declined to provide figures, saying, “When the time comes, we will disclose it.”

He mentioned possible infiltration routes through Tripura, Dawki in Meghalaya, and parts of Assam such as Mankachar and Sribhumi, but insisted that security personnel were regularly pushing illegal entrants back.

The Chief Minister admitted that middlemen involved in aiding cross-border movement had been arrested, including Hindus. “In Tripura, most ‘dalaals’ are Hindus, charging Rs 20,000 to help a person cross,” Sarma said.

Responding to TMC MP Sushmita Dev’s criticism that Bengali-speaking Hindus continue to face hardships, Sarma accused her of “trying to divide Hindu society.”

He said, “She has left her own place. No political leader abandons their origin. Today she comes to Assam as a guest.”

Sushmita Dev, a native of Silchar, had earlier represented the constituency in the Lok Sabha.

On BJP leader Amit Malviya’s remarks regarding the Bengali language, Sarma distanced himself, saying, “I don’t know what he has said. What matters is what Prime Minister Narendra Modi says.”

He emphasised that the Centre had granted Bengali the status of a Classical Language, underlining its importance.

–IANS

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