Opposition accuses BJP of raising illegal infiltration as election issue

Opposition leaders accused the BJP-led government of making illegal infiltration an election issue, while highlighting unemployment, inflation and farmer concerns. They questioned the government’s failure to secure borders and urged transparency on actual numbers of infiltrators

New Delhi: The Opposition on Tuesday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government is itself responsible for making illegal infiltration an election issue, with leaders of at least four Opposition parties saying that wherever elections are held, the ruling party raises the matter.

The reactions followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, while virtually addressing BJP booth-level workers in Assam ahead of the April 9 Assembly polls, said: “Infiltration is not just an election issue. It is an issue to safeguard the identity of Assam and national security. Congress allowed illegal land grabbing by infiltrators.”

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Shiv Sena-UBT MP Priyanka Chaturvedi told IANS that if PM Modi says illegal infiltration is not an election issue, “then maybe Union Home Minister Amit Shah has not heard him, because from Bengal to Assam, he is speaking about infiltrators. The Mumbai Mayor is also speaking about infiltrators. But the question is, despite them (BJP) being in power for 11 years, why have they not secured the borders with Bangladesh, allowing the entry of illegal infiltrators,” she added.

RJD MP Manoj Jha alleged that PM Modi does not speak about employment. “I have not heard PM Modi speak on employment. Whether it is Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam or Bengal, the topic is only illegal infiltration. Even after 11-12 years of being in power, if you are raising the issue of infiltration, then it is your own failure,” Jha told IANS.

Congress MP Manoj Kumar reiterated the opposition’s allegation. “Wherever elections are taking place or have taken place, be it Delhi, West Bengal, Bihar or even Tamil Nadu, they (BJP) are talking about illegal infiltrators. Everybody knows it is an election issue.”

He also flagged unemployment and inflation. “Unemployment and inflation are at their peak, and education and health situations are very bad in the country. Work should be done on these issues and also about farmers,” he told IANS.

Moreover, he added, “We, along with Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, also want that people who are indulging in misdeeds should be removed from the country. We are also against infiltrators, but not raising it only as an election issue. They (BJP) cannot confuse the people of Assam.”

Samajwadi Party MP Rajiv Rai urged the government to bring out the actual number of illegal infiltrators in the country. “The government should clarify where the infiltrators from Jharkhand, Bihar and Delhi went. The government only talks about infiltration during elections but never mentions the numbers,” he said.