Guwahati, 29 Aug

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that Assam cannot be led by people who make frequent visits to Pakistan, apparently referring to state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi's alleged links with the foreign nation.

Addressing a rally of panchayat representatives here, Shah blew the 'war bugle' for Assam assembly polls due in March-April next year and said the state cannot be represented by leaders who sympathise with infiltrators and encroachers.

"PM Narendra Modi carried out immense developmental works across the country, and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma took that flow to every household of the state. On the back of these works, the BJP-led NDA will form the government in Assam for the third consecutive term next year," he said.

Slamming the opposition Congress, Shah said Assam cannot be represented by people sympathising with infiltrators and encouraging encroachments.

Alluding to Gaurav Gogoi, Shah said, "Assam cannot be led by people who visit Pakistan frequently."

The Assam CM and the BJP have been attacking the Deputy Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha over his wife's alleged connection with Pakistan's spy agency ISI. Sarma had claimed that Gogoi's British wife Elizabeth Colburn had travelled 19 times between India and Pakistan.

Shah said, "The infiltrators encroached thousands of acres of our land. The BJP government launched a drive to clear encroachments from everywhere, but Gaurav Gogoi opposed it... The Assam government freed 1,29,548 acres of land from encroachment by infiltrators."

The Union Home Minister asserted that the BJP has restored the sanctity of Srimanta Sankardeva and Mahapurush Madhavdeva's satras (Vaishnavite monasteries) by evicting infiltrators from their lands.

He also claimed that the BJP government in Assam launched special operations to arrest the infiltrators, who used to marry the “our daughters”.

About the Congress’ performance in recent rural polls, Shah said, "If you want to find Congress in Assam panchayats, you will not find them even with binoculars."