21 illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators pushed back: Assam CM

Guwahati, Aug 26 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday reiterated his government’s uncompromising stand on illegal infiltration, asserting that fresh action had been taken to push back Bangladeshi nationals who had entered the state illegally.

Taking to social media platform X, Sarma wrote: “HIT where it hurts the most, send them back to their host. In two separate instances, we PUSHED BACK 21 illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators from the Sribhumi sector, further bolstering our anti-infiltration efforts. These drives WILL CONTINUE UNABATED.”

The Chief Minister’s post comes in the wake of stepped-up vigil along vulnerable stretches of the Indo-Bangladesh border in lower Assam, where infiltration attempts have been reported intermittently. Security agencies, including the Border Security Force (BSF) and state police, have been conducting intensified patrols to plug loopholes along the border.

Sarma has consistently maintained that infiltration remains one of the biggest challenges for Assam, both from a demographic and security perspective. “We cannot allow illegal migrants to change the social fabric of our state. Our message is loud and clear—enter illegally, and you will be pushed back,” he had earlier remarked in the Assembly.

The issue of illegal migration from Bangladesh has long dominated Assam’s political discourse, with successive governments pledging strict measures to detect and deport foreigners. The Sarma-led BJP government has particularly sought to project itself as uncompromising on this front, linking infiltration with broader concerns of identity, land rights, and cultural preservation.

In recent months, Assam has also tightened the issuance of Aadhaar and other identity documents, with the government explicitly stating that no illegal migrant should be able to access Indian citizenship benefits. The latest push-back operations from the Sribhumi sector are being seen as a continuation of this hardened stance.

With the 2026 state elections drawing closer, political observers believe Sarma’s assertive message is aimed at consolidating the BJP’s position among Assamese voters, for whom the infiltration issue remains deeply emotive.

--IANS

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