Assam BJP on damage–control exercise

‘The  mention of the Northeasterners  as ‘immigrants’ or ‘migrants’ in the Delhi BJP’s vision document published with an eye on the elections in the state is an idvertent human error’— BJP

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, February 4: The Assam state committee of the BJP swam into a damage–control exercise to heal the sentiment of the people of poll–bound Assam and other states of the Northeast after the Delhi BJP left it in a state of sink or swim.

In a statement issued to the press today, Assam State BJP spokesperson Jiten Sarma said: “The  mention of the Northeasterners  as ‘immigrants’ or ‘migrants’ in the Delhi BJP’s vision document published with an eye on the elections in the state is an idvertent human error. The BJP never thinks the people of Assam or other states in the Northeast as ‘immigrants’. The party has special attention for the Northeasterners, and which was why it had to make special mention of the people of the region in the vision document meant for Delhi. We tender an apology before the people of the Northeast for such an error. Had the BJP had no concern for the people of the Northeast, the issue of their protection in the tiol capital would not have figured in the vision document published by the Delhi unit of the party.”

Sarma said: “In order to ensure safety and security of Northeasterners reading in colleges and universities or on jobs in Delhi, the Union Home Ministry has ensured the setting up separate cells in each and every police station in the tiol capital, and 24–hour helpline services for the people of the region will be opened soon.  If fact, the BJP is the first party in the country to have mentioned the issue of safety and security of the Northeasterners in its vision document in a state which is far away from any of the Northeastern states.”

Sarma further said that after the words ‘immigrants’ and ‘migrants’ used to mean the people from the Northeast coming to light, they contacted the Delhi leaders of the party. “The two objectioble words  have now been deleted from the vision document,” he said.

The BJP spokesman said that the Congress had no right to criticize the BJP for such a mistake as it was under the Congress regime in Delhi that the people from the Northeastern states had to face the wrath of antisocial elements in the tiol capital.

Meanwhile, the AIUDF also came down heavily on the BJP for the use of the word ‘immigrants’ and ‘migrants’ to mean the ‘Northeasterners’ in the vision document published by the Delhi unit of the BJP.  In a statement issued to the press today, AIUDF general secretary Aminul Islam said: “The mention of the Northeasterners as ‘immigrants’ or ‘migrants’ is indeed condemble. This in not the first time that the  BJP’s negligence to the people of Assam and other states of the region came to the fore. The BJP has made its attitude towards the people of Assam by deciding to going ahead with big dams, the India–Bangladesh land swap deal and the relaxation of visa regime with Bangladesh. The people of Assam should accept nothing less than an abject apology from Prime Minister rendra Modi on the issue.” 

Meanwhile, the Krishak Shramik Unyan Sangram Samittee, Assam (KSUSSA) submitted a memorandum each to the Assam Governor and the President of India in protest against the use of the terms ‘immigrants’ and ‘migrants’ to mean the people from the Northeast in the said vision document.