Solve foreigners’ problem as per Assam Accord: Debabrata Saikia

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly Debabrata Saikia has clearly stated that the Congress is fully opposed to the introduction and passage of the Constitution (Amendment ) Bill, 2016 in the Parliament. He added that the party’s stand in respect of the Bill has been endorsed by the Congress Working Committee (CWC). Saikai made the statement at a press meet held in Guwahati today.

In respect of the foreigner's issue which has been plaguing Assam for decades, Saikia said that the same should be solved on the basis of the Assam Accord signed by the AASU and the Centre in 1985 in the presence the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

On the other hand, some party leaders of the State may be talking not in tune with the party stand. Such views are personal views of such leaders, he opined.

Criticizing the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the opposition leader said that the party is creating confusion over the issue. He said that the AGP is a part of the Assam Government and yet it is apparently maintaining a different stand on the Bill. He said that the party should remove the confusion and make its stand clear before the people of the State

On the other hand, criticizing the State Government, Saikia alleged that all syndicates in the State are being run with the blessings of Dispur. On this count, he seemingly tried to put the blame at the doorstep of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). He said that officials of the CMO have no administrative background and that a few of them have been drawn from the private sector. That being the scenario, a good deal of anomalies have taken place, he alleged, adding that official secrets are leaking out and that maintenance of secrecy has fallen by the wayside, he added.

So far as NRC is concerned, Saikia said, that names of a good number of Koch Rajbongshi and Indigenous Muslim (Goria) people have failed to find the place in the final draft NRC. Hence corrective measures are taken for the inclusion of their names in the final NRC, he demanded. He also questioned as to why these indigenous people have not been treated as original inhabitants.

Saikia also said that the BJP-led Government in Assam is not interested in holding polls to the local bodies. As of now, only after strict directive issued by the Gauhati High Court, Dispur is preparing to hold panchayat polls in the State, he said.

He further said that the Mising and Sonowal-Kachari autonomous councils have completed their 5-year term and yet the State Government is not keen on holding polls to these local bodies. On the contrary, he said, that the State Government has extended the term of the Mising Autonomous Council by one year and is preparing to follow suit in case of the Sonowal-Kachari Autonomous Council also.

In the mater of the alleged sex scandal pertaining to Union Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain, Saikia has questioned as to why the Assam State Women Commission (ASWC) is maintaining a stony silence over the issue. He has also asked as to why the ASWC has not initiated any probe on its own against Rajen Gohain. Saikia has demanded a judicial inquiry in the respect of the alleged sex scandal involving Rajen Gohain.

Criticizing the BJP-led Government at the Centre, Saikia said that the powers that be in Delhi are systematically working towards dismantling the national institutions like the CBI, RBI, the Election Commission. He also said that the Government even tried to exert its influence on the Supreme Court by holding up the appointment of SC judges.

Also Read: Citizenship (Amendment ) Bill, 2016