If voted to power in Jharkhand, BJP will set up panel to identify infiltrators: Amit Shah

Seraikela/Tamar (Jharkhand), Nov 11 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that if the BJP is voted to power in Jharkhand, it will set up a committee to identify illegal immigrants and drive them out, besides reclaiming the land "grabbed" by them.

Addressing a rally in Seraikela, Shah said a law would be enacted to prevent the transfer of land to infiltrators on their marriage with tribal women.

"Tribal population is declining in Jharkhand. Infiltrators are grabbing land by marrying our daughters. We will bring legislation to prevent the transfer of land to infiltrators if they marry tribal women. We will also form a committee to identify infiltrators to drive them out and reclaim land grabbed by them," he said.

The veteran BJP leader, who held three rallies during the day, said infiltrators are a threat to “Roti, Beti and Maati” of Jharkhand.

“For the Congress party and JMM, the tribals are merely a vote bank and property which they can use as their own. They use them according to their will, while the BJP respects and honours the tribal brothers and sisters. The people of Jharkhand consider them their own,” Shah claimed.

He claimed that Champai Soren was insulted when he raised the issue of illegal immigration and was forced to resign from the CM's post by Hemant Soren.

“Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren, a close aide of JMM supremo Shibu Soren, was insulted and humiliated for raising his voice against corruption and infiltration, which is an insult to the entire tribal community.” Accusing the leaders of the JMM, Congress and RJD of working for personal gain, he said, "Corrupt leaders of the JMM-led coalition will be sent behind bars if the BJP forms government in Jharkhand." Shah alleged that the JMM-led dispensation "devoured" Rs 3.90 lakh crore sent by the Centre.

“The JMM-led alliance was a coalition of scams - Rs 1,000 crore MNREGA scam, Rs 600 crore land scam, Rs 1,000 crore mining scam and multi-crore liquor scam,” he claimed.

Shah promised that once the BJP is voted to power, it will ensure that if the Centre sends one rupee to Jharkhand, 25 more paise is added to it by the state so that Rs 1.25 reaches the people.

Addressing another election rally in Tamar in Ranchi district, he called the Congress a "sinking ship" and said that it could not "save" Soren in the elections.

Shah alleged the ruling JMM-led coalition destroyed Jharkhand, and promised that the BJP would make it the most prosperous state in the next five years if it is voted to power.

He alleged that the JMM and Congress consider tribals as a mere "vote bank" and do not respect them.

"Tribals are facing extinction due to infiltrators who are the vote bank of the JMM-led coalition," he claimed. “The people of Jharkhand do not trust Hemant Soren's guarantees because those guarantees will never be fulfilled. Hemant Soren had promised to provide unemployment allowance to the youth but did not fulfil it. The BJP after forming government will provide Rs 2,000 allowance to every unemployed youth,” he said.

Attacking the Congress, Shah said that even "four generations of Rahul Gandhi" cannot restore Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The Congress, JMM and RJD had protested against the removal of Article 370 in Parliament. It was said that if Article 370 was removed from Jammu and Kashmir, there would be bloodshed but Article 370 was abolished. Six years have passed but there has been no violence in the state. Now Rahul Gandhi is talking about restoring Article 370 in Kashmir,” he said.

Hitting out the party, the Union home minister said the party has promised in Maharashtra that it will give reservations to Muslims but as long there is BJP in this country, no one will be allowed to snatch reservations from Dalits, tribals and backward people. PTI NAM SOM NN