Guwahati, Jan 1 Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday refuted the claims of influx of Hindus from Bangladesh due to unrest in the neighbouring country, saying that the security forces in the state could not detect any Hindu Bangladeshi infiltrator in the last five months.
Sarma said, “We have put the security forces on high alert at the International Border following the unrest in Bangladesh to check infiltration. The police have detected a good number of illegal immigrants on a daily basis along the International Border. However, no Hindu infiltrator from Bangladesh was arrested in the last five months.”
The Chief Minister argued that the Hindu community people immigrated from Bangladesh 30 to 40 years ago and the rest of the people have been living in the neighbouring country for different reasons.
“Most of the Hindu community people who had the desire to cross the border and come to India had come here 30 or 40 years ago. The rest of the minority people have been living in Bangladesh despite facing large-scale atrocities in the neighbouring country. I guess they have their own reasons for staying there, maybe a love for the soil or patriotism towards Bangladesh,” he said.
Sarma also stated that Bangladeshi infiltration spiked up in the last few months due to the collapse of the textile industry in the neighbouring country, leaving many jobless there.
He stated that the economy of Bangladesh has collapsed due to unrest and the majority community people were more affected than the minority section.
“So far, we have arrested around 1,000 Bangladeshi people in the last few months. They were pushed back immediately after their arrest,” the CM mentioned.
He also attributed the illegal infiltration to incentives offered by a few textile industry owners in India.
Sarma also said that he took up the issue of Bangladeshi infiltration with Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the meeting of the North Eastern Council (NEC).
“I have discussed these things with other Chief Ministers of northeastern states,” he added.
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