Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 7 (HBTV): Assam Chief Minister Biswa Sarma on Monday urged industrialists in Mumbai not to hire laborers from Bangladesh and said there is a need to 'strike at the roots' of illegal immigration from the neighboring country.

'In 1979, the people of Assam said - support our agitation today; if you do not support this today, 30 years from now India will be full of Bangladeshis. So, what is happening today? Who brings cheap labor? Some of our own industries... They use middlemen to bring those laborers from Bangladesh... As a national duty, we have to do this. If Bangladeshis get jobs, they will keep coming. So, if our industries, trade, and business here decide that they won't give jobs to Bangladeshis, how will they come here? If we have to strike, we have to strike at the root,' said Assam CM addressing the press conference in Mumbai.

Earlier, on January 1, Assam CM Sarma stated that 20 to 30 infiltrators are being detected in Assam every day and termed the situation 'worrying.'

Speaking at the inauguration of the Mini Inter-State Bus Terminus at Khanapara, Assam CM said that he had discussed the infiltration issue with his counterparts from various northeastern states and the West Bengal government.

'We have seen a huge increase in infiltration in Assam and India. Two days ago, I also discussed this with my counterparts from various northeastern states and the West Bengal government. Assam police are detecting 20 to 30 infiltrators every day, and the same number of infiltrators are being seen in Tripura. After the unrest in Bangladesh, the textile industry collapsed there. So workers from the textile industry in Bangladesh are coming to India, and many textile factory owners in our country are also encouraging them. I have also discussed this issue with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in my last meeting. This is a very worrying issue for us because we have never detected so many infiltrators before,' said Assam CM.

Since the departure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August last year, attacks targeting minorities, primarily Hindus, have increased in Bangladesh.

Regarding Bangladeshi Hindus coming to India, Assam CM Sarma said they should not 'encourage them to come to India.'

'I think the numbers are very small, and whoever wanted to come would have done so 40 years ago... I think we should not encourage them to come to India. The Prime Minister is continuously working to provide security and create a secure situation in Bangladesh, and the Hindu people of Bangladesh are also working very maturely. We have not seen any Hindu Bangladeshi in Assam in the last five months,' said Assam CM.

(ANI)