Guwahati, April 3 (IANS) Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Friday asserted that the people of Assam have “decided to re-elect the NDA” to safeguard the state’s culture, identity and future, while launching a sharp attack on the Congress during a massive rally in Dudhnoi in Goalpara district.

Addressing a charged gathering, HM Shah accused the Congress of exploiting the deaths of Assamese youth for political gains and fostering instability in the state for decades. In contrast, he said, the BJP-led government has prioritised peace by signing multiple accords and bringing nearly 10,000 youth into the mainstream by persuading them to lay down arms.

Taking a tough stand on illegal infiltration, he alleged that the Congress had turned Assam into a hub of infiltrators. “We have identified all infiltrators. Give us five more years, and we will remove each one of them,” he said, drawing loud applause from the crowd.

Highlighting welfare measures, he promised that every district in Assam would have a large dairy unit and that households in tribal communities would be supported with livestock.

“This is not an election promise. As Cooperation Minister, I assure you this will be delivered,” he said.

He also credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for promoting tribal culture globally and contrasted it with what he termed Congress’s neglect of indigenous communities.

Referring to the election of Droupadi Murmu as President, Shah said it reflected the NDA’s commitment to tribal empowerment.

Recalling his association with the Assam movement in the early 1990s, HM Shah accused the then Congress government of turning the state into a conflict zone.

He further highlighted the BJP government’s initiatives in education, including the introduction of primary education in six tribal languages and the recognition of Assamese as a classical language.

On the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Shah said the BJP would implement it in Assam but clarified that tribal communities would be kept outside its ambit, accusing the Congress of spreading misinformation to create fear among indigenous groups.

He also listed cultural initiatives undertaken by the NDA government, including honouring Assamese icons, building memorials for Assam Agitation martyrs, and securing UNESCO heritage status for Charaideo Maidam.

Urging voters to once again back the BJP-led alliance under Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Shah said the NDA represents peace, development and protection of Assam’s identity.

–IANS

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