BJP for action against illegal migrants from Bangladesh: Rajnath

Karimganj/Diphu (Assam): BJP President Rajnath Singh today said people who came from Bangladesh after 1971 and settled in Assam or elsewhere in the country should be treated as illegal migrants and necessary action be taken against them.“Everybody knows that there has been a huge influx of people of a particular community from Bangladesh during the last four decades and certain political parties have patronised them for vote-bank politics,” Singh said a rally at Karimganj in Barak Valley.“If BJP comes to power, we'll institute an inquiry to find out how so many people of a particular community could enter the country illegally and settle down,” Singh said. “If, however, anybody comes with proper passport, visa or work permit, we have no problem with that but we cannot accept if they do not go back and settle down here,” the BJP chief said.“In the case of Hindus being harassed in Bangladesh and forced to flee that country, we cannot treat them as refugees, but must be sympathetic to their cause,” he said.“BJP does not believe in distinction between different religions or on division of the country on the basis of religion as was done during the time of Independence,” he said.“BJP believes in politics of humanity and not of religion. In Assam, we make no difference between Hindus and Muslims, but illegal migrants who are a threat to the indigenous population, will not be tolerated,” he said. “Earlier, before BJP came to power in 1998, India was considered a weak country and this was a matter that always hurt Vajpayeeji. After coming to power, he decided that India will carry out nuclear tests and though many countries opposed it, he went on with the tests,” he said. “Powerful countries threatened to stop economic aid and imposed sanctions, but we finally emerged strong and no country considers us weak now,” Singh said.The BJP president said things had changed after the Congress-led UPA government came to power as “Manmohan Singh remained silent even when Pakistani army entered Indian soil. This gives a wrong signal to the world.” During the six-year NDA rule, the government was successful in containing price rise but “whenever Congress comes to power, there is always unprecedented price rise. This is mainly due to wrong economic policies, planning and above all corruption”, he said.“The NDA government was corruption-free and it initiated several measures for the development of the country, particularly for the North East,” he said. It was the NDA government that had set up a separate ministry for the North East—Ministry of Development of North East Region (DONER)-- as even after so many years of independence, this region had not progressed the way it should have, he said.“It was Vajpayeeji (Atal Bihari Vajpayee), who had started the East West Corridor to connect Silchar with Saurashtra but the highway between Silchar and Guwahati is yet to be constructed,” he said.“If BJP forms government and Narendra Modi becomes prime minister, completion of the highway will be the top priority,” he said.“BJP has an emotional relationship with the North East and it believes that unless the region develops, the country cannot progress,” he said.