Sixth Schedule In Northeast Under Threat: Tarun Gogoi

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that the fate which Jammu and Kashmir met has posed a threat to the Sixth Schedule status being enjoyed by some areas in Assam and some other States in the Northeast.

Addressing a press conference at his residence at Ministers’ Colony at Dispur on Tuesday Gogoi said: “What the Government at the Centre has done to Jammu & Kashmir is a historic blunder. It’s dictatorial and undemocratic as well. The move is not going to solve the problem in Kashmir. Rather it’ll complicate the problem in the State. Stripping Jammu and Kashmir of the special status it had been enjoying over the years has posed a threat to the Northeast. Assam and many other States in the Northeast have areas enjoying provisions under Sixth Schedule. If the Government at the Centre wants to implement one-nation one-policy all over the country, such special provisions, which aren’t found elsewhere in the nation, may go.”

On the resignation of veteran Congress leader Bhubaneswar Kalita from the Rajya Sabha, Gogoi said: “Scrapping Article 370 had all along been in BJP’s agenda. Hadn’t it known to Kalita earlier? He’s power hungry. As I know, he’s going to join the BJP. If he doesn’t, I’ll tender an apology before him.”

Coming down heavily on State NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela, Gogoi said: “He acts like Tuglag. He summons NRC applicants for hearing from one corner of the State to the other at short notices. He’s targeted the Muslims, and he’s doing all these to appease the RSS. I’ve a gut feeling that the names of Indians will be dropped from the NRC that’ll have names of foreigners.”

Also Read: Former CM Tarun Gogoi says MHA has Failed to Give Assam a Correct NRC