New Delhi, Aug 24 (PTI) Top BJP leaders today slammed successive Congress governments for failing to check illegal migration in the North-East and blamed votebank politics for "insensitivity" towards the region.

"Most of these challenges are due to the sins of omission and commission committed by the Congress party and its governments.

This is evident most starkly in its approach to, and its track record of, dealing with the biggest problem that is plaguing the North-East -- "external aggression" in the form of massive infiltration from Bangladesh.

"The problem has not only endangered the very survival of Assam, but is also threatening other North-Eastern states," BJP Parliamentary Party chairman L K Advani said here.

Pointing out that it was India which helped in the creation of Bangladesh, he said, "We want good relations with it, but it should not be at the cost of Assam's existence."

Taking credit for conceiving the idea of Unique Identity Cards during the NDA regime, the former deputy prime minister said its aim was to detect illegal settlers, delete their names from the voters list and deport them to their native country.

"But unfortunately, security is not in the priority of present scheme of things... it is obvious that, like previous Congress governments, UPA I and II have chosen to be silent spectators to this aggression.

Rather, they have aided and abetted this external aggression for myopic votebank considerations ," he charged. Advani was speaking at the launch of BJP's North-East 'sampark' (communication) cell here.

Addressing the gathering, party President Nitin Gadkari said it was "unfortunate" that the UPA government was not concerned about the illegal immigrants.

Blaming "votebank politics" behind the "insensitivity", Gadkari said this could lead to socio-economic problems and questioned, "Why does the government give no attention towards the region." He said BJP will soon come out with a vision document '2025-North-East'.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley lamented that people do not use the "mind space" that North East requires today.

Accusing the Centre of neglecting the region, he said when NDA was in power, the region was linked by the East-West corridor.

"But so far only 30 per cent of the work has been completed in connecting the North-East," he lamented.