Guwahati: Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday promised “a cow and a buffalo in every tribal household” as he placed tribal welfare at the centre of BJP’s campaign in Assam.Addressing a rally in Goalpara’s Dudhnoi, Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma have prepared a detailed plan for tribal uplift that would be implemented if BJP returned to power for a third straight term.“Each tribal family will be given a cow and a buffalo, and we will establish dairy infrastructure in every district. We will fulfill it,” Shah said.BJP’s manifesto also promises to provide 25 lakh poor families two milch cows each under the chief minister’s Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojana.Shah contrasted BJP’s record with that of Congress govts, claiming they had spent only ₹25,000 crore on tribal welfare since Independence, while the Modi govt had allocated ₹1.38 lakh crore over the past 11 years.Shah described Goalpara as “Mini Assam,” home to Rabha, Bodo, Hajong, Koch and Adivasi tea garden workers, and asserted only BJP can ensure their development. He also declared that tribal areas will not come under the Uniform Civil Code, dismissing Congress claims as “rumours to scare tribals.”Later in Palashbari, Shah accused Congress of trying to block the bill for setting up an IIM, but said BJP ensured its establishment. “Approach Assam, Aspire Assam and Inspire Assam — that is our policy,” he told the crowd, adding that Palashbari will be developed into an education hub.Targeting the opposition, Shah referred to allegations against Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, without naming him, of links with “an enemy country.” He also accused Congress of turning Assam into a hub for infiltrators, promising that BJP will “send back each identified infiltrator” if given another five years.Highlighting accords signed since 2019 and the surrender of over 10,000 youths, Shah said BJP restored peace in Assam. He warned that if Congress wins even a few seats in the April 9 polls, instability will return.Campaigning for BJP candidates in Goalpara West, Dudhnoi, Palashbari and Boko Chaygaon ST, Shah urged voters not to “waste a single vote on the hand” but to back the lotus. His helicopter developed a technical snag, forcing him to travel by road to Goalpara and Dudhnoi, which he said gave him a chance to experience “the beauty of Assam’s nature.”
