Dibrugarh, Jan 30: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday issued his strongest warning yet on what he described as large-scale infiltration into Assam, asserting that the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the state would identify and deport “every infiltrator” and reverse demographic changes that have taken place over decades.
ভোট বেংকৰ স্বাৰ্থত কংগ্ৰেছে শ্ৰীমন্ত শংকৰদেৱৰ পৱিত্ৰ ভূমি অনুপ্ৰৱেশকাৰীৰ হাতত এৰি দিছিল আৰু সেই ভূমি এতিয়া অসমত হিমন্ত চৰকাৰে অনুপ্ৰৱেশকাৰীমুক্ত কৰি তুলিছে।
कांग्रेस ने वोट बैंक के लिए श्रीमंत शंकर देव जी की पवित्र भूमि को घुसपैठियों के हवाले कर दिया था, जिसे असम की हिमंता… pic.twitter.com/8WZCB0nRLe
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) January 30, 2026
Addressing separate public events in Dibrugarh and at the 10th Mising Youth Festival in Dhemaji, Shah accused previous opposition governments of allowing infiltration for vote-bank politics, claiming this had altered Assam’s social fabric and posed a threat to national security.
“Governments earlier kept their eyes closed. As a result, Assam’s demography changed completely. Our government will reverse this,” Shah said in Dhemaji, warning that infiltration had risen sharply in at least seven districts, with numbers running into lakhs over nearly two decades.
On infiltration, Shah accused opposition governments of allowing demographic changes in Assam for political gain. He claimed that the current Assam government has freed around 1.26 lakh acres of land from illegal encroachment and halted what he described as unchecked infiltration across the state’s borders.
“Under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, every infiltrator will be evicted,” Shah said, asserting that illegal immigration poses a threat to both Assam’s demographic balance and national security. He claimed that tighter border management under the Modi government has significantly reduced infiltration into Assam.
Shah further alleged that sacred lands associated with Srimanta Sankardev, the 15th-century Vaishnavite saint and social reformer, had been encroached upon in the past and said the current state government is working to make such areas encroachment-free.
Linking internal security with inclusion, the Home Minister announced special recruitment drives for Mising youth in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), saying local participation was essential for safeguarding borders and maintaining internal security. He also cited peace accords signed under the Modi government that led to nearly 10,000 youths laying down arms across the Northeast, arguing that Assam’s youth were now choosing “vision over weapons”.
Earlier in Dibrugarh, Shah had accused the opposition of circulating an “anti-Assam toolkit” in 2021 aimed at tarnishing the global image of Assam tea. He said the BJP government addressed long-standing neglect of tea garden workers by passing the Land Holding Amendment Act in 2025, which he claimed made over three lakh workers across 825 tea estates landowners.
Shah said the High-Powered Demographic Mission, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2025, would study infiltration-linked population changes and recommend corrective measures. He reiterated that 1.26 lakh acres of land had already been freed from infiltrators in Assam.
Calling on indigenous communities to play a frontline role, Shah urged the Mising community to actively support efforts to make Assam infiltration-free. “Under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s leadership, infiltrators will not only be stopped but identified and deported,” he said.
Shah also highlighted development initiatives, including flood-control wetlands, sports infrastructure, and a proposed Wildlife Research Institute, while asserting that Assam had received ₹4.5 lakh crore in central funds over the past decade, significantly higher than under previous regimes.
Describing the Mising community as the “heartbeat of the Brahmaputra Valley,” Shah praised their nature-centric traditions, including practices that adapt to floods rather than resist rivers, and said Assam was emerging as a manufacturing hub, claiming ‘Made in Assam’ semiconductor chips would reach global markets by the end of 2026.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, and other senior leaders were present at the events.
He laid the foundation stone for the new Assam Legislative Assembly complex in Dibrugarh, formally advancing the state government’s plan to make the town Assam’s second capital. Shah also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for five major projects worth around ₹1,715 crore.
The event was attended by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, and other senior leaders.
Shah said amendments to land laws have enabled over three lakh tea garden workers from Santhal, Munda, Bhil, Kol and Bengali communities to gain land ownership rights. He also reiterated the government’s stance on illegal infiltration, claiming that over 1.26 lakh acres of land have been freed from encroachment.
The Home Minister also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary, remembering his role in India’s freedom struggle
Shah said the BJP government addressed this gap by passing the Land Holding Amendment Act in 2025, which, he claimed, has made over three lakh tea garden workers—including members of the Santhal, Kol, Bhil, Munda, and Bengali communities—landowners across 825 tea estates in the state. He described the move as a landmark reform aimed at securing the rights and dignity of tea garden communities.
Shah recalled that Chief Minister Sarma had announced in 2025 the decision to develop Dibrugarh as Assam’s second capital as part of a broader push for inclusive governance. He said the foundation stone for the new Legislative Assembly building has now been laid on 57 bighas of land, turning the announcement into reality.
“Now, the people of Dibrugarh will also be residents of the capital,” Shah said, calling the move a step towards balanced regional development.
Flood control, wetlands and irrigation push
Shah announced that the Union Home Ministry has sanctioned ₹692 crore to develop 15 large wetlands in Assam as part of flood mitigation efforts. Based on surveys conducted with the Space Applications Centre, the project is expected to benefit around 7.5 lakh people, irrigate 77,000 hectares of farmland, reduce flood intensity, and improve groundwater recharge.
He said the wetlands would also support multi-cropping, animal husbandry, dairy development, and emerge as tourism and water sports hubs.
Tea exports, economy and peace narrative
Referring to India’s recently signed free trade agreement with the European Union, Shah said Assam’s tea sector—particularly Dibrugarh—would benefit from zero-tariff access to European markets, allowing Assam tea to reach consumers from Paris to Berlin more competitively.
He also highlighted economic growth in the state, claiming Assam’s GSDP has increased from ₹4.1 lakh crore to ₹7.2 lakh crore in recent years. Shah said over 10,000 youths across the Northeast have laid down arms under peace agreements since 2014, marking a shift from conflict to stability.
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