Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday attacked the BJP, particularly Union Home Minister Amit Shah, for repeatedly raising the infiltration issue but failing to deport a large number of illegal entrants despite being in power for over 10 years.
Addressing election rallies in Cachar and Sribhumi districts, he also alleged that the BJP had misused the delimitation exercise in Assam to win elections.
"When Amit Shah comes here, he only talks about Bangladeshi infiltrators. But the BJP doesn't drive these infiltrators out; they nurture them. It only plays politics in their name," he said.
For 10 years, the BJP has been in power at the Centre and in Assam, but it could not remove the infiltrators, the Congress leader said.
He claimed that during the Congress-led UPA government, 88,792 illegal migrants were deported from the country between 2005 and 2013.
"But under Narendra Modi's rule, only 2,566 people were removed between 2014 and 2019. The BJP, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah just make electoral promises; they do nothing in reality," the Congress chief alleged.
Kharge also criticised the BJP for allegedly misusing the delimitation exercise in Assam to win the elections. The delimitation exercise was carried out in 2023.
During the delimitation exercise, Muslims were removed from areas where they had been in the majority, while other people were added, he alleged.
"In areas where there were more Dalits and Adivasis, people from other classes were included," he claimed.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has handed over thousands of acres of land in Assam to a corporate house in the name of greenfield projects.
"The BJP government is selling off your lands, forests, water, mines and energy. Therefore, remember that to save the country, the BJP must be removed," he added.
Kharge alleged that in the last 10 years, Barak Valley has been neglected and the people's problems have been ignored.
"Indira Gandhi Ji had called Silchar in Assam the 'Island of Peace', but today much has gone wrong here. Due to the government's failure, students, workers and every class of people are troubled," he added.
The floods that come every year arrive as a disaster. Houses are destroyed by the floods, crops are ruined, and families are left destitute, but the BJP government has no permanent solution to this problem, the Congress president said.
"Roads submerged in water, a broken drainage system and severe traffic jams are not development for Silchar. BJP people make all sorts of promises for votes, but in reality, they do nothing," he added.
Kharge also criticised Modi for allegedly not doing anything to enact the law for giving 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
"Modi slept for 30 months using the bill as a pillow. Now that the elections have come, the government has remembered the matter of giving reservation to women. The Modi government wants to influence the elections with this issue," he alleged.
Kharge also attacked Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, claiming that he is working for money, land and power.
"Himanta is buried in corruption. It is time to teach him a lesson. This is people's fight against Himanta Biswa Sarma, because Assam's land, water, forest, mines are being looted," he added.
Without mentioning any name, the Congress chief raised the issue of Sarma's wife allegedly possessing three foreign passports and owning assets abroad.
"I heard that one woman has three passports. Golden passport, ordinary passport, VIP passport. From where have you got it? It must be revealed," he added.
Sarma and his wife had stated on Sunday that they would take legal action against Congress leader Pawan Khera for making those accusations.
"No matter how much Narendra Modi and Himanta Biswa Sarma try to save their seats, they are now just guests in power for a few days," Kharge asserted.
At his second rally in neighbouring Sribhumi district, Kharge alleged that the BJP and AIUDF have joined hands to defeat the Congress-led opposition alliance.
"Remember -- if you vote for (AIUDF chief) Badruddin Ajmal, your vote will go to the BJP. Ajmal ji is neither going to become the chief minister nor save the country's Constitution. Only Congress can protect the country's Constitution," he added.
Kharge said that wherever Modi and Sarma go, they just keep abusing the Congress, which built the country and carried out thousands of development works.
"In the BJP era, just one thing happened -- Assam was turned into the party's ATM, from which only extortion is carried out," he added.
The Congress chief alleged that the Assam CM is daily injecting the poison of communalism into the people.
"Corruption in the government is at its peak, and the Prime Minister, the home minister and the chief minister tell the public that everything is fine in Assam. But this is not the reality. Himanta Biswa Sarma is looting land in Assam and handing it over to big industrialists," he added.
Kharge questioned Modi where are the two crore jobs, where is the benefit from demonetisation, where is the doubled income for farmers and where are the Rs 15 lakh in people's accounts as promised by him.
Polling for the 126-member Assam Assembly will be held on April 9, while the results will be declared on May 4.