Congress, Hagrama can't check influx because they're in love with Ajmal: Shah

UDALGURI: Union home minister Amit Shah today said Hagrama Mohilary of the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) has allied with the Congress and Badruddin Ajmal of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) to abet and encourage infiltration.

He made the allegation addressing an election rally at Diamond Field here today.

Claiming credit for the BJP-Asom Gana Parishad government in Assam for taking measures to check influx, the senior BJP leader said the Congress, BPF and AIUDF have come together to try to spoil whatever the government achieved over the past five years as far as checking infiltration is concerned.

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“The BJP has ensured that influx is checked over the past five years. Congress, Hagrama and Ajmal have now come together to play the spoilsport. With Ajmal, can Hagrama check influx? Can he handle insurgency and disturbance?” asked Shah.

“Neither Congress, nor Hagrama can check influx because they are in ILU, ILU (love affair) with Ajmal,” he added.

He also took a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s visits to Assam calling them “nothing more than a picnic”.

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“Recently, Rahul baba visited Assam. For him, visiting Assam is nothing more than a picnic. When he talks about labourers, I feel like laughing because Congress didn't do anything for tea garden workers during four generations of their rule,” Shah said.

The Congress and the BJP have been leaving no stone unturned to woo tea community votes in the Assam assembly elections. While the BJP harps on cash rewards and free ration to the tea workers, the Congress has been promising Rs 365 daily wages in gardens.

The tea workers have been demanding a daily wage of Rs 351 and the BJP government recently increased it from Rs 167 to Rs 217. However, the implementation has hit legal hurdles and the Gauhati High Court has given the liberty to the garden owners to pay or not pay in the revised rate.

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The tea community voters play a key role in at least 40 of the 126 constituencies in Assam.

Shah also mentioned about the eight per cent reservation for tea community students in medical education in Assam.