'Chicken's Neck' Corridor Is India's Land, No One Can Lay Hands On It: Amit Shah At Assam Rally

Last Updated:February 01, 2026, 21:45 IST

Amit Shah took aim at the INDIA bloc, accusing its members of supporting individuals who had allegedly raised slogans about cutting the strategic Siliguri Corridor.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah | Image: X

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday issued a strong warning against any attempts to question India’s territorial integrity, asserting that the Siliguri Corridor, often referred to as the ‘Chicken’s Neck’, belongs to India and cannot be threatened or touched by anyone.

Addressing a gathering of party workers in Bagdogra, Shah took aim at the INDIA bloc, accusing its members of supporting individuals who had allegedly raised slogans about cutting the strategic corridor.

“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.

He claimed that the individuals involved were arrested by the Delhi Police and sent to jail, and alleged that leaders from the opposition alliance had attempted to secure their release.

“MPs from the INDI alliance even went to the Supreme Court to argue for their bail. But in the end, truth prevails," the Home Minister added, noting that the court rejected the bail pleas.

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

While rejecting their bail pleas, the 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 the incarceration of Khalid and Imam has been prolonged, it does not override the statutory restrictions under UAPA or violate constitutional safeguards 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 broke out in parts of northeast Delhi in February 2020.

The Siliguri Corridor is a narrow stretch of land, about 20–22 kilometres wide, in West Bengal that serves as the only land link between mainland India and its eight northeastern states.

Given its strategic importance, the corridor has long been considered vital to India’s national security and territorial unity.

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