Amit Shah Highlights Illegal Immigration Impact on India's Demographics: Border Security Concerns and Vote Bank Politics

Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed a significant concern on Friday, stating that certain political parties are considering infiltrators as potential voters, while questioning the absence of infiltration along Gujarat and Rajasthan borders.

During a memorial lecture for Dainik Jagran's former editor-in-chief Narendra Mohan, Shah discussed the critical topic of "Infiltration, demographic change and democracy."

He emphasized that infiltration should not be viewed through a political lens but rather as a national security matter that poses a substantial threat to democratic processes.

While opposition parties attribute the responsibility of preventing infiltration to the central government due to its control over the Border Security Force (BSF), Shah pointed out that certain border regions cannot be fenced properly because of topographical challenges.

"The central government alone cannot effectively combat infiltration. State administrations are protecting these infiltrators as some political entities view them as potential vote banks," Shah stated.

The Home Minister questioned how infiltration could be prevented if district administrations fail to identify individuals who have entered the country illegally. He added that those who cannot distinguish between refugees and infiltrators are essentially deceiving themselves.

Shah presented statistical evidence, noting that in Assam, the Muslim population showed a decadal growth rate of 29.6 percent according to the 2011 census.

"Such growth rates are impossible without infiltration. In numerous districts across West Bengal, this rate reaches 40 percent, and in several border regions, it has escalated to approximately 70 percent. These figures clearly indicate that infiltration has been occurring for years," Shah explained.

He asserted that certain political parties have begun to view infiltration as a means to secure votes, which has led them to provide shelter to infiltrators.

"Gujarat and Rajasthan both share international borders, yet infiltration is not prevalent in these regions," Shah observed.

The minister also highlighted the significant decline in tribal populations in Jharkhand, attributing this demographic shift to infiltration from Bangladesh.