NEW DELHI, Aug 28: Warning against “partisan finger-pointing” over the Assam violence, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday called for “strictest possible action” against those who targeted people from the Northeast and indulged in “treacherous activities”.

Condemning the violence as “unacceptable”, Gandhi stressed that those guilty of the traumatic violence in parts of Assam have to be brought to justice. In a critique of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s attempt to portray it as an inhabitant versus foreigner issue, Gandhi stressed that this was not the time for partisan finger-pointing, but for healing wounds and bringing about reconciliation among communities that have been hurt.

“Every effort should be made to ensure that people still living in camps return to their homes and rebuild their lives as quickly as possible,” she told a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP). “The strictest possible action must be taken against those who deliberately seek to divide us, incite and provoke people by their incendiary speeches and aggressive actions,” Gandhi said.

In an unstinting condemnation of rumour-mongering, the Congress chief lashed out against those who have misused the social media for their hate-mongering, caused havoc and spread mass panic. “No government can stand by and ignore such treacherous activities.”

Alluding to the targeting of people from the Northeast people in other parts of the country, Gandhi said she was glad that the Lok Sabha spoke in one voice on their behalf. “Like all our citizens, they have every constitutional rights to study, work and live in any part of our country with complete safety and security.” IANS