Advani blames Bangladeshi immigrants for Assam violence

Guwahati, July 31 (IANS) Veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani Tuesday blamed the immigration of people from Bangladesh into Assam for the communal violence in the state.

Advani, who is touring the state, said at a press conference that there was a "criminal delay" by the government in handling the crisis.

The over week-long violence between the Bodos and the Bengali-speaking Muslim settlers from July 19 left 56 dead and lakhs homeless.

"As a result of the infiltration in collusion of state government and government of India, people of Assam are feeling that they are losing control over their own land while illegal Bangladeshis have embarked upon large-scale land grab," Advani said.

"The second is ethnic problem. The Bodos face the threat of marginalisation in their own land," he said.

"The third problem is the demographic change taking place in Assam," he said.