Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday claimed that none of the infiltrators, nabbed so far while trying to cross the Bangladesh border illegally, was a Hindu.

“We are capturing, either one or a group of foreigners in our state from last 2 months. But, because of the porous boundary between India and Bangladesh, in spite of best effort by BSF, some people are still coming into our country. State government has to play a very proactive role. Tipura is also identifying few foreigners. Assam is also identifying, but in spite of our best effort, people must be going to the various states of the country, because we have found many people who have gone back to Bangladesh to bring fresh people,” Sarma said during a press conference.

“We are coordinating with the border security force. Sometime, people are being identified through a joint operation, sometime by BSF, sometime by the state police, but it is a coordinated exercise. In last 2 months, we have detected 138 infiltrators, and we have pushed them back. But one thing I must again repeat that contrary to the expectation that Hindus will come inside India because of the instability in Bangladesh, we are finding only the Rohingya Muslims who are coming into our country. So I think, the past perception about Hindu Bengal is wrong.. That is what the data says,” he claimed.

“Secondly, the Muslim Rohingya is still trying to come into the various states of our country. Every state government must remain vigilant, and they must work very closely with the BSF. So Assam and Tripura are working very closely. We are detecting people. If Bengal government also, start detecting people, I think this will be a, well orchestrated, and this will be a systematic effort. But if we push them back, they can again reenter through Bengal border, I think Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura, Bengal, and all the state governments must support BSF aggressively. Otherwise, things may deteriorate,” CM Sharma said.

When asked in some case, identities have been changed, he responded: “I think if we work very closely, we can detect people. And our concern is whether he’s Hindu or Muslim, we are least bothered. Our question is that if anybody comes from Bangladesh into our country illegally, they must be detected, they must be pushed back. So, I think irrespective of their religious identity, we are working.”