Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday accused the Congress of treating alleged Bangladeshi infiltrators as a vote bank, stating that such infiltration poses a threat to Assam’s people, culture, land and identity.

Addressing a public rally at Borduwa in Nagaon district, Shah said the central government plans to identify illegal immigrants from Bangladesh across the country, not limited to Assam. He urged people to support the BJP for another five years, saying the party aims to make Assam free of infiltrators.

During the visit, Shah inaugurated a ₹227 crore redevelopment project at Batadrava Than, the birthplace of Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardeva. He described the inauguration as significant and said the site had been cleared of encroachments.

The home minister also referred to steps taken by the Assam government under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, stating that more than one lakh bighas of land had been reclaimed from alleged encroachers.

Shah said the central government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is working to protect Assamese cultural identity while promoting development. He linked Sankardeva’s philosophy of unity with the government’s approach and said that during the BJP’s tenure, several peace accords were signed with militant groups, with a majority of their provisions implemented to support long-term peace in the state.