By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Sept 19: As many as eight Opposition parties, led by the AGP, today staged a march to Raj Bhavan procession against the two latest notifications issued by the Centre, on humanitarian considerations, exempting Bangladeshi and Pakistani tiols belonging to minority communities like Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists who have entered India on or before December 31, 2014 under religious persecution, in respect of their entry and stay in India without proper documents or after the expiry of relevant documents.
Led by AGP president Atul Bora, the procession was taken part, among others, by former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, former AGP president Brindabon Goswami, AIUDF MLA Rafiqul Islam, CPI leader Dhrupad Borgohain, Gamukti Sangram, Asom leader Kamal Kumar Medhi, State NCP president Ripunjay Bora, CPI(ML) leader Bivek Das and LDP leader Jogesh Saikia. The leaders of the Opposition parties minus the BJP held a rally in front of Raj Bhavan. Speaking at the rally, Atul Bora said: “We’re not going to accept the arbitrary decision taken by the Centre on the stay and entry of Bangaldeshi and Pakistani minorities. By taking such a decision, the BJP-led government at the Centre wants to make the people of Assam a pack of vagabonds in the State. They want to make Assam a land of refugees.”
Speaking at the rally, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said: “In the me of foreigners the Congress and the BJP have been paying a dirty politics.” The Opposition parties sent memoranda to the President and the Prime Minister of India through the Governor demanding immediate cancellation of the two latest notifications on Bangladeshi and Pakistani minorities. Meanwhile, the eight parties have called a citizens’ meeting on October 2 to be presided over by AGP president Atul Bora on the same issue.