GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday announced that at least 37 Bangladeshi people, including women and children, were deported to the neighbouring country as they illegally crossed the international border and entered Indian territory.
Taking to X, CM Sarma wrote, "Good bye infiltrators; your time's up in Assam! 37 uninvited guests have been PUSHED BACK to their own homeland in Bangladesh from the Sribhumi sector. Just letting you all in advance - All unwanted guests will be treated with the same gesture."
The state government has taken a strong stand against infiltration from Bangladesh, with CM Sarma often issuing warnings about a looming threat of changing demography in Assam.
He accused the previous Congress governments of providing shelter to Bangladeshi infiltrators, and the Chief Minister claimed that Bangladeshi infiltrators have been occupying the land of indigenous people.
CM Sarma earlier also asserted that although some of the Bangladeshi infiltrators managed to get Aadhaar cards, they can not enrol themselves in the voter list.
He said that there is no chance that people cross illegally the international border from Bangladesh and get themselves enrolled in the voter list in Assam because security forces have caught many people who illegally entered Indian territory and they were pushed back within a few hours.
"Most of the infiltrators were arrested in the morning around 5 a.m., and before 9 a.m., they were pushed back to the neighbouring country. In two or three hours, they can not register themselves in the voter list."
However, the Chief Minister sees no harm in remaining doubly vigilant in this matter.