1. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma highlighted illegal immigration from Bangladesh.
2. Addressing an event in Jharkhand, Sarma stressed the gravity of the issue.
3. He revealed the four-decade-long struggle Assam has faced due to this challenge.
Guwahati, May 16: Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, sounded the alarm, drawing attention to the persistent challenge of illegal immigration from Bangladesh into the state.
Speaking at an event in Jharkhand, Sarma underscored the seriousness of the situation, revealing that this issue has plagued Assam for the past four decades.
Reflecting on the origins of the problem, Sarma pointed out that the infiltration from Bangladesh commenced during the reign of the Congress party four decades ago.
He lamented the lack of foresight regarding the long-term consequences of this infiltration, which has now resulted in an estimated 1.25 crore infiltrators from Bangladesh residing in Assam.
Sarma emphasized that verbal assurances alone would not suffice in addressing this pressing issue.
The Chief Minister expressed deep concerns about the erosion of Assamese identity due to this influx and urged the people of Jharkhand to learn from Assam’s and West Bengal’s mistakes by preventing Rohingya infiltration into their state.
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Sarma called for concrete actions rather than mere rhetoric to combat this multifaceted challenge. He cautioned against repeating historical errors and urged stakeholders to take proactive measures to safeguard Assam’s security and integrity.
Furthermore, Sarma highlighted apprehensions regarding the dwindling presence of temples and alleged instances of Hindu women becoming victims of what he termed “love jihad.”
He emphasized the importance of protecting Hindu heritage sites and ensuring the safety of Hindu communities in Assam.
Sarma pointed to financial contributions made by individuals like Alamgir Alam, raising concerns about potential threats faced by Hindus in the region.
In a related development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) detained Jharkhand’s Rural Development Minister, Alamgir Alam, a prominent Congress leader, in connection with a money laundering case on the same day.
The 70-year-old minister was arrested at the agency’s zonal office in Ranchi under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after undergoing extensive interrogation for six hours.
This arrest follows the earlier detention of Alam’s personal secretary, Sanjeev Kumar Lal, and Lal’s domestic aide, Jahangir Alam, after the ED discovered over Rs 32 crore in cash from a flat associated with them.
The ongoing money laundering probe revolves around allegations of irregularities and purported payment of “bribes” within Jharkhand’s rural development department.
The ED has alleged that Lal was collecting “commission” on behalf of influential figures, implicating government officials across various levels within the rural department in an alleged nexus of illicit cash transactions.
