PM Modi–Kharge Spar Over Illegal Immigration

• PM Modi alleges Congress wants illegal immigrants settled in Assam
• Congress chief Kharge rejects charge, says Centre shirking responsibility
• Row erupts during PM’s Namrup visit to inaugurate fertiliser project
• Illegal immigration remains a key political flashpoint in Assam

GG News Bureau
Namrup/New Delhi, 21st Dec: The political battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Indian National Congress over illegal immigration escalated sharply on Sunday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge trading strong accusations.

Addressing a public rally at Namrup in Assam’s Dibrugarh district, where he unveiled a ₹10,601-crore fertiliser plant, Modi accused the Congress of indulging in “anti-national activities” and seeking to settle illegal Bangladeshi immigrants on Assam’s forests and land to strengthen its vote bank.

“The Congress is indulging in anti-national activities. They want illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to settle in Assam’s forests and lands. They only care about their vote bank and not the people,” the Prime Minister said. He also accused the party of opposing voter list revision to cling to power, asserting that the BJP government would always protect the “identity, land, pride and existence of the Assamese people”.

Modi said the Congress had committed “so many wrongs” over decades that even after 11 years of corrective governance, much work remained to put the country back on track. Illegal immigration from Bangladesh continues to be a major public concern in Assam, with officials saying that in the past year, more than 400 illegal infiltrators, mostly Bangladeshis and Rohingya, have been deported after being detained.

Reacting sharply, Kharge rejected the Prime Minister’s allegations, calling them an attempt to cover up governance failures. “How can he blame the Opposition parties?” Kharge asked. “This government is in power at the Centre and in Assam as well — a so-called double-engine government. If they fail to protect the borders, how can they blame the Opposition? Are we ruling there?” he said.

Kharge said the Congress does not support infiltrators or terrorists and accused the Prime Minister of repeatedly shifting blame to the Opposition whenever his government falls short. “They are destroyers, we are not destroyers. We are not defending anyone. In the interest of the country, we will do whatever is good, but not support infiltrators. He is blaming us only because he has failed to prevent them,” Kharge added.