‘Chicken neck is India’s land, no one can touch it’: Amit Shah at Assam rally

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday (Feb 1, 2026) made a strong assertion on India’s sovereignty, declaring that the Siliguri Corridor, often referred to as the ‘Chicken’s Neck’ is an inseparable part of Indian territory and cannot be threatened by anyone.

Speaking at a gathering of Bharatiya Janata Party workers in Bagdogra, near the strategically crucial corridor, Shah launched a sharp attack on the opposition INDIA alliance, alleging that its leaders had supported individuals who raised slogans about cutting off the narrow land link connecting mainland India with the northeastern states.

“Some people sitting in Delhi shouted slogans about cutting the Chicken’s Neck corridor. How will you cut it? Is it your father’s land? This is India’s land, and no one can touch it,” Shah said, drawing loud applause from party supporters.

Referring to the arrests made by Delhi Police, the Home Minister claimed that those involved in raising such slogans were sent to jail, but leaders of the INDIA bloc attempted to secure their release. Shah alleged that opposition MPs even approached the Supreme Court seeking bail for the accused.

“MPs from the INDIA alliance went to the Supreme Court to argue for their bail. But in the end, truth prevails,” Shah said, noting that the apex court rejected the bail pleas.

Shah’s remarks came against the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s recent order in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The court denied bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, observing that both stood on a “qualitatively different footing” from other accused, with their alleged roles described as central to the conspiracy.

While rejecting bail for Khalid and Imam, the Supreme Court granted relief to five other co-accused, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmad. The bench noted that although Khalid and Imam have faced prolonged incarceration, statutory restrictions under UAPA continue to apply and constitutional safeguards were not violated at this stage.

Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and several others were arrested in January 2020 in connection with the larger conspiracy case linked to the communal violence that erupted in parts of northeast Delhi in February 2020.

The Siliguri Corridor, stretching roughly 20-22 kilometres in width in northern West Bengal, serves as the only land route connecting India’s eight northeastern states with the rest of the country. Owing to its geographical vulnerability and strategic importance, the corridor has long been viewed as critical to India’s national security and territorial unity.