BJP promises to check illegal immigrants with ID cards

Chitradurga (Karnataka), April 7 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will prevent infiltration and check illegal immigrants from Bangladesh by introducing identification cards to every Indian if elected to power, the party's senior leader L.K. Advani said here Tuesday.

'The introduction of ID card to every Indian will help the government identify illegal immigrants, especially from Bangladesh, and deport them,' Advani said at an election meeting in central Karnataka, about 200 km from Bangalore.

The ID card will also help the government to prevent infiltration from across the borders and check the terror activities indulged by many of them, Advani told a gathering of about 15,000 people amidst tight security.

Accusing the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of compromising on national security and failing to check infiltration or to deport illegal migrants from the north-east region, Advani said though the Supreme Court struck down the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act (IMDTA) in July 2005, infiltration and influx of illegal migrants continued unabated from Bangladesh into north-eastern states.

'One of the root causes for escalating terrorism is unchecked infiltration and entry of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh in thousands. We need to find a permanent solution to end this menace,' Advani asserted.

Highlighting the salient features of the party's manifesto and the IT vision document released for the general elections, Advani said besides computer literacy for all, the party's IT strategy would usher in e-governance across the country to infuse transparency across every layer of administration.

Karnataka is scheduled to go to polls April 23 and 30, with 17 constituencies in the first phase and 11 in the second phase.

The BJP has fielded Janardhan Swamy as its candidate from Chitradurga parliamentary constituency, where voting will take place in the first phase (April 23).