Foundation for 10th Assam Police Battalion HQ Laid; Amit Shah Targets Congress

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday laid the foundation stone of the 10th Battalion headquarters of the Assam Police in Kamrup and addressed a public gathering, sharpening his attack on the Congress over infiltration and land encroachment. The event was attended by Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Union Home Secretary and other senior officials. Shah said the new complex symbolised the state’s resolve to counter security threats and accelerate development.

Infiltration And Land Eviction

Addressing the gathering, Shah alleged that during the Congress regime, infiltrators had encroached upon 174 bighas of land where the programme was held. He claimed the land had been cleared under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and described the earlier encroachment as a threat not only to Guwahati but also to Assam and the country.

He further alleged that districts such as Dhubri, Barpeta, Morigaon, Darrang, Bongaigaon and Nagaon had become infiltrator-dominated due to policies of the previous government. Shah said nearly 1.45 lakh bighas of land had been freed from infiltrators under the present state government.

The Home Minister asserted that if his party returns to power for another term, infiltrators would be identified and deported within five years. He alleged that infiltrators had become a vote bank for the opposition and said they would be removed not only from electoral rolls but from the country.

Referring to the IMDT Act of 1983, Shah claimed it was enacted to protect infiltrators and had harmed Assam’s demographic balance. He said infiltration had affected “jati, mati and bheti”, community, land and cultural foundations, and pledged that the country would be freed from infiltration just as it is being freed from Naxalism.

Infrastructure And Security Push

The proposed 10th Battalion headquarters will be built over 124 bighas and include residential and operational facilities. According to Shah, the complex will house barracks for 750 male and 450 female personnel.

The campus will also feature a hospital, a training centre, a firing range, a modern surveillance facility and a sports complex for Assam Police personnel. Shah said it was significant that a security establishment was coming up at a site he described as once vulnerable to infiltration.

He credited the state government with improving law and order over the past decade and said the new headquarters would strengthen policing capacity in the region.

Attack on Congress

Shah accused the Congress of neglecting the Northeast for decades and claimed the region had gained priority under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who he said had visited the Northeast 80 times in the past 11 years.

He said Assam would become the industrial hub of eastern and Northeastern India within five years. Referring to development initiatives, Shah cited the clearance of land encroachments, employment generation and welfare schemes.

The Home Minister said over 1.4 lakh government jobs had been provided in Assam without corruption under the current dispensation. He also highlighted the granting of land rights to 2.5 lakh landless indigenous people and initiatives for tea garden workers and women’s self-help groups.

Shah pointed to the upcoming Rs 27,000 crore semiconductor plant in Assam and new educational courses aimed at youth employment. He said the state was transforming across various sectors.

Invoking cultural icons, Shah said national recognition had been accorded to figures such as Lachit Borphukan and that the Centre had honoured prominent Assamese personalities with Padma awards and the Bharat Ratna.

He concluded by asserting that a renewed mandate for his party would ensure an Assam free from insurgency, poverty and unemployment, and capable of addressing challenges such as floods and security threats.