Dhemaji, March 31 Asserting that the Assam elections were about "expelling every infiltrator" from the country, BJP leader Smriti Irani accused the Congress on Tuesday of shielding illegal migrants and pushing the state into the "dark days" of militancy.
Addressing back-to-back election rallies in Sissiborgaon and Jonai in Dhemaji district, she said the BJP-led government has ensured the state's progress on all fronts, with women leading the development narrative.
"This election is not about making someone an MLA or Himanta Biswa Sarma the chief minister again. This is about expelling each and every infiltrator from our country," she said.
Mentioning the Dhemaji blast of August 15, 2004, in which 13 people were killed, she said, "These were innocent people. What was their mistake? Such dark clouds engulfed the state that innocents lost their lives."
Irani asserted that the state has now reached a phase where everyone can unfurl the national flag without fear, which was a credit of the current dispensation at the Centre and the state.
Accusing the Congress of shielding infiltrators, she questioned why the party and its allies were against the revision of electoral rolls.
"Only Indians should be included in the electoral rolls. When the Election Commission wanted to revise the rolls, why did the Congress protest it? They want to protect Indians or the infiltrators," she questioned.
The former Union minister lauded the state government for clearing over 1.65 lakh bighas of land from illegal encroachers, while hitting out at the Congress for failing to take any step while in power.
Maintaining that the state has been marching in the path of development in the last 10 years, Irani said women are occupying a central position in this growth narrative.
"Earlier it was said that women voted wherever their husbands asked them to, but now it is the women who tell their husbands to vote for lotus (BJP's election symbol), and the men comply," she claimed.
"With 33 per cent seat reservation for women on the way to being implemented, they will have even greater stakes," Irani said, "It has been possible due to the leadership of PM Narendra Modi."
She said the BJP manifesto for the assembly elections reflects the commitment to continued development for various sections.
She also lauded the achievements of the state government, highlighting measures such as the development of spiritual tourism at Batadrava, the birthplace of Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankerdev, building a memorial for Assam Agitation martyrs at Guwahati, and a 125-feet statue of legendary Ahom general Lachit Barphukan.
The BJP has fielded Jibon Gogoi in Sissiborgaon and Bhuban Pegu in Jomai.
Elections to the 126-member assembly will be held on April 9, while the votes will be counted on May 4.
