Guwahati (Assam) [India], April 3 : Union Minister Nitin Gadkari appealed to the voters for the return of the BJP government in Assam in the upcoming elections, highlighting the necessity of a crackdown on illegal immigrants and infiltrators in the state.
At a public rally in Guwahati on Thursday, Gadkari stressed that no foreign national can be granted "unauthorised entry" in India. He further added that to ensure the development of the country and Assam, it must be saved from illegal immigrants.
"The foreign nationals who enter our country from abroad, should they be granted the right to vote? No nation can permit such unauthorised entry. Therefore, I have come here to make an earnest appeal to you: we must save Assam, we must save the nation; we must ensure the development of Assam, and the development of the country. To achieve this, you must ensure that the Bharatiya Janata Party wins this election with an absolute majority," Gadkari said.
Earlier on Thursday, Gadkari said that the Assam Government's action against the "illegal immigrants" should not be linked to the Muslim community, reiterating the party's stance to disallow voting rights to Bangladeshi citizens in the interest of the nation.
Speaking to ANI, Nitin Gadkari accused the Opposition of "communalising" the issue for "vote bank politics", giving precedence to their "political interest" over national interest.
"In the whole world, action is taken against people who enter a country illegally. This should not be linked to any religion. I am not against the Muslims living in Assam. It cannot be right to give voting rights to Bangladeshi citizens who have entered Assam. We have only said this in our national interest," he said.
"While some parties are communalising this issue for vote bank politics. It is not right to use issues of national interest for one's political interest," he added.
Assam is set to go into single-phase elections on April 9 on 126 seats across the state. The Bharatiya Janata Party, in alliance with Asom Gana Parishad and Bodoland People's Front, aims to retain power for the third consecutive time. On the other hand, Congress is challenging the BJP-led alliance with a six-party bloc including Congress, Assam Jati Parishad (AJP), Raijor Dal, CPI(M), CPI(ML), and the All Party Hill Leaders Conference.
The counting of votes will take place on May 4.