Only BJP government can foil bid to change Assam’s demography: Amit Shah

‘India-EU FTA will help Assam tea reach Paris and Berlin with zero tariff’

Our Bureau

Dibrugarh/Guwahati: Claiming that the recent India-EU trade deal has enabled Assam's tea to reach Paris and Berlin with zero tariff, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said today that only a BJP government can stop infiltrators' to foil attempts to change Assam's demography and jeopardize the country's security.

Union Home Minister Shah said this while laying the foundation stone for the new building of the Assam Legislative Assembly in Dibrugarh, along with the ground-breaking and inauguration of five projects at a total cost of approximately Rs 1,715 crore. On this occasion, Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, and many other dignitaries were present.

Addressing the gathering, the Union Home Minister said that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had announced in 2025 that, as part of efforts to make Assam inclusive, Dibrugarh would be made the state's second capital. He said that in the governments of opposition parties, many announcements remained just announcements, but now it is the BJP government. Chief Minister Sarma had made the announcement, and today the foundation stone of Assam's second Legislative Assembly complex has been laid on 57 bighas of land.

The Union Home Minister said, "To protect Assam from floods, we conducted a survey of the state through the Space Application Centre and, based on that, identified large wetlands. The Ministry of Home Affairs has spent Rs 692 crore to develop 15 wetlands in the first phase. This will save about 7.5 lakh people from floods, irrigate approximately 77,000 hectares of land, reduce the intensity of floods, and increase the groundwater level due to enhanced water-holding capacity. Irrigation will be provided from these 15 large ponds, which will help Assam's farmers produce crops three times a year, boost animal husbandry, and also promote the dairy industry. These will also be used for water sports and will become centres of attraction for tourists."

Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the Government of India has recently signed a free trade agreement with the 27 countries of the European Union, and the biggest benefit of this will go to Dibrugarh. He said that the Prime Minister has signed the EU trade deal, enabling Assam's tea to reach Paris and Berlin with zero tariff.

The Union Home Minister said that opposition parties did nothing for the development of Assam when they were in power for decades. He said that in every sector-including infrastructure, wildlife and environmental protection, semiconductors and the chip industry-the Modi government's first priority is Assam. Shah also said that whether it is railways, waterways, airports, or setting up industries, in every field, Prime Minister Modi prioritizes Assam.

Amit Shah said that opposition governments gave Assam bullets, bomb blasts, conflicts, and the deaths of youths. He said that since Modi became Prime Minister, more than 10,000 youths have laid down their arms across the entire Northeast under more than 20 agreements, making Assam and the Northeast secure. Shah said that there was once a time when curfews, bomb explosions, and the sound of gunfire prevailed here, but today the music of Bhupen da reaches the entire world from this region. He said that it is the Modi government that has conferred the Bharat Ratna-the nation's highest civilian honour-upon Bhupen Hazarika and the great son of Mother India, Gopinath Bordoloi.

Shah said, "The state BJP government passed the Land Holding Amendment Act in 2025, thereby making more than 3 lakh Santhal, Kol, Bhil, Munda, and Bengali workers from 825 tea gardens owners of the land."

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, "The Congress governments, by allowing infiltration into Assam, turned it into a weapon for vote-bank politics to gain power. The present state government has stopped the process of changing demographics and has freed 1.26 lakh acres of land from infiltrators. Under the leadership of Himanta Biswa Sarma ji, we will evict every single infiltrator from Assam. Infiltrators cannot benefit Assam or the country in any way because they are changing our demographics and also pose a threat to the country's security. If demographic change is not stopped, Assam may face difficulties in the coming days, and only our government can stop it. We are now creating systems so that infiltrators can no longer enter India, and those who have already entered will not be spared; we will identify and remove them one by one."

Union Home Minister also inaugurated first phase of a world-class Multi-Disciplinary Sports Complex and laid the foundation stone for its second phase at Khanikar in Dibrugarh. Shah said that today, the inauguration of the first phase of a world-class Multi-Disciplinary Sports Complex equipped with state-of-the-art facilities has taken place. At a cost of Rs 238 crore, on 106 bighas of land, an indoor stadium, swimming pool, football ground, lawn tennis courts, basketball court, volleyball court, hostel for players, and accommodation for coaches have been constructed. He said that along with this, the foundation stone for the second phase of the sports complex has also been laid at a cost of Rs 209 crore.

Shah said that a Wildlife Research Institute at a cost of Rs 292 crore will also be constructed in Dibrugarh. This institute will have facilities for disease surveillance, research and diagnosis, as well as capacity building. He requested the state government to make necessary arrangements in this institute not only for animals but also for birds. Shah said that this institute will also have arrangements for scientific research and the study of genetic diseases, due to which it will be established as an important institution in the world.

The Union Home Minister paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary today.

Also Read: Amit Shah to lay foundation stone of 2nd Assembly complex on Jan 30