By IANS,
Guwahati : BJP president Nitin Gadkari Thursday criticised the Assam government for the unabated influx from across the border and said that the party will secure the international border of the country if it comes to power.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief was in Guwahati to flag off the Shahid Shradhanjali Yatra being undertaken by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) from Guwahati to Tawang to commemorate the 50th anniversary of India-China war.
A total of 90 youths from 19 states of the country have joined in the Yatra, which will end at Tawang on October 21.
During the yatra, the BJYM activists will pass through Tezpur in Assam, Bomdi La, Dirang and reach Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and hold public meetings at those places.
Gadkari accused the Congress-led governments at the centre and in Assam of opening up its borders for the infiltrators for “vote bank politics” and said that no steps have been taken to secure the country’s porous borders.
“If we come to power, our top priority will be to seal the country’s international borders to stop unabated influx,” he said, drawing reference to Israel, which has sealed its borders.
“If Israel, which is surrounded by hostile neighbours, can seal its borders, why not India?” he said.
“To visit any country, one needs a visa and needs to submit a number of documents. But here our country has totally opened up its borders, invited the illegal immigrants to enter our country, buy land, buy property,” Gadkari said and alleged that all the Congress leaders in Assam – from the late Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to Tarun Gogoi – have encouraged illegal immigrants.
“The borders should be sealed in a scientific manner,” he said.
Gadkari also termed the 1962 war as a blunder and said that even after 50 years of the war, India does not have a border policy.
“Our borders are still open and insecure,” he said, adding that India must learn a lesson from the shortcomings of the 1962 war and ensure that such mistakes are not repeated.
Gadkari said that while India and China can work together for peace and prosperity at the global and regional level, the country cannot ignore threats where they are present.
He cited reports of China’s involvement in building infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
“Yet when we talk of defending our country, we are called communal… Has vote bank politics made us so indulgent that we have even stopped thinking about our country’s national security?” he asked.
Gadkari also maintained that the BJP is not communal.
“The BJP is, in fact, more secular than the Congress,” he said.
According to Gadkari, the recent clashes in Assam were not the result of any communal discord, but a struggle between Indians and foreigners.