Assam riot due to large scale immigration: Advani

Kokrajhar: Senior BJP leader LK Advani on Monday said the conflict in Kokrajhar and neighbouring districts in Assam was due to immigration from across the border.

"It is not a conflict between Hindus and Muslims or between majority and minority communities. The problem has arisen due to large scale infiltration of illegal immigrants," said Advani, who is here on a two-day visit.

"I am very unhappy at what I have seen and what I have heard. It's distressing that in 2012 these kinds of things are happening," the BJP leader, who visited two refugee camps in Kokrajhar district, said.

Cautioning that if the situation was not taken care of in time it could deteriorate, he said, "Till now we have only heard of Jammu and Kashmir where a whole population has been rendered homeless ... I hope this does not happen in Assam."

His visit follows a fact-finding tour by a BJP team led by party's national general secretary Vijay Goel.