Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (file photo)
Guwahati: It seems BJP leaders are continuing their relentless effort to spew hate speech or speeches intended to polarize voters and hurt sections of the society.
After senior leaders of BJP, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah, it is Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma the latest in line with the usage of "infiltrators".
Sarma claimed that "infiltrators from Bangladesh" constitute 1.25 crore of Assam's population and account for 40 of its 126 MLAs, The Indian Express reported.
Following the conclusion of Lok Sabha polls in Assam on May 7, the third phase of the polls across the nation, Sarma has been travelling to other states campaigning for NDA candidates and spewing controversial statements to draw national attention.
On Wednesday, he claimed in a press conference at Ranchi that "infiltrators from Bangladesh" pose a threat to tribals in Jharkhand. He claimed that Assam is an example. He claimed that infiltration started in Assam 40 years ago, and Congress was in power then. Because of 1.25 crore infiltrators, Assamese people have lost their identity.
"That's why I am coming to Jharkhand and saying, don't make mistakes like us. We made a mistake 40 years ago, we didn't protect our borders. You don't let Rohingyas come in… Bengal and Assam made mistakes. What we should have done at that time, we were not able to do," TIE quoted his problematic words.
He added that Jharkhand now has Narendra Modi, which is the same as the whole country.
The final draft of the Assam National Register for Citizens excluded 19 lakh people when it was published in 2019.