Assam: Amit Shah promises Indian citizenship for Bangladeshi Hindu refugees

Hindu refugees from Bangladesh will be given Indian citizenship if BJP comes to power in Assam in next year's Assembly poll, party president Amit Shah said on Sunday. 

"Some Hindus have come from Bangladesh due to religious disturbances. BJP will give all of them citizenship once we come to power in Assam next year," Shah said at a rally in Guwahati. Not only in Assam, but the party will work towards giving Indian citizenship to all Bangladeshi Hindu immigrants across the country, he added.

"Next elections will be fought on this issue. Assam poll will be for freeing the state of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Assam polls will also be for development of Assam and North-East," said Shah, who is on his maiden two-day tour to Assam. He said Assam has become a shelter for illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and the Congress government in the state is doing nothing to deport them.

"We gave money to update NRC (National Register of Citizens), but the state government does not want to do this as they got their votes. This will not continue for long. BJP will surely evict them from Assam land," Shah said. He called on the people to free Assam from Congress' 15-year "rule of corruption" and hand over the reins to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for overall development of the state.

Referring to a recent CAG report, Shah claimed there are no accounts for Rs 12,000 crore funds. "Tarun Gogoi, please give accounts for that money or else people will seek answer during polls next year. If there is no change, then who will ask for answers? Please give us power, we will seek answer for each penny," he said. Shah also slammed the Congress for alleged "misrule" and corruption during the 10-year UPA tenure at the Centre.

"It was a government of corruption. 2G, CWG, purchasing of tanks, aircrafts and submarines, ISRO and finally the coal -- in every sector there was rampant corruption. The UPA looted Rs 12 lakh crore from Indian people," he alleged. After the people gave the power to Modi, the last 11 months have been corruption free and all the wrong policies were reversed, he said.

"Congress and its allies charge us of corporate-driven government. In reality, they favoured corporates and gave away spectrum and coal mines almost free. We cancelled all the allocation of 220 coal mines and auctioned them along with spectrum. Over Rs 3 lakh crore have been collected from corporates are being used for the poor," Shah said. He also said that the NDA government is pro-poor and has opened bank accounts for 14 crore under-privileged people so far.