Stay away from brokering for B’deshis, AASU tells Sarmah

APCC demands Sonowal to clear stand, LDMA opposes Bill

Our Bureau

GUWAHATI/DIMORIA, Dec 16: Rubbishing BJP MP RP Sarma’s statement sounding like inclusion of some ten lakh odd Bengali Hindus would be thoroughly watered down amidst three crore population in Assam, the AASU on Saturday asked the MP not to broker for Bangladeshis.

Talking to newsmen at Sopur on the outskirts of Guwahati, AASU president Dipanko Kumar th said: “Assam isn’t ready to shoulder the burden of any foreigner who entered Assam after March 25, 1971, regardless of his/her faith. We’re not ready to change our stand on this issue under any circumstances. We’ve all along been opposing the Citizenship Amendment Bill. We’re in no way going to tolerate the statement made by the MP on AASU vis-à-vis the Hindu Bangladeshi issue. Sarma should stay away from brokering on behalf of Hindu Bangladeshis, failing which he’ll have to face the music.”

Speaking in the same vein, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) questioned RP Sarmah as how he knows that Assam has ten lakh Hindu Bangladeshis. He needs to make public as to how and where he reached an understanding with the AASU on such an important issue. Besides being a senior MP, Sarmah is also a senior RSS leader and as such his statement can’t be taken lightly. We’ve taken his statement seriously. We want the stand of the State Government and the party on this issue from Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal. Let Sonowal make his stand public on the Centre’s move to bring the Citizenship Amendment Bill through an Ordince. The Chief Minister can’t simply duck his head when such burning problems concerning the State crop up. His silence on the Hindu Bengali issue can’t do anything worthwhile. He has to make it crystal clear before the people of the State if detection and deportation of foreigners in the State will be in accordance with the Assam Accord or not. If he has buried the Assam Accord for power and going to detect foreigners in the State based on their religions, he should tender an apology before the people of the State or step down as the Chief Minister owning the moral responsibility.” The APCC said that its stand on the issue is crystal clear that ‘Assam cannot shoulder the burden of any Bangladeshis who entered the State after March 25, 1971.”  

Meanwhile, the Left-Democratic Manch, Assam (LDMA) expressed serious concern over the Centre trying to move the Citizenship Amendment Bill through an Ordince. “The Citizenship Amendment Bill that has provisions for according Indian citizenship to non-Muslims entering India from neighbouring countries is opposed tooth and il by all and sundry in Assam, barring the BJP. The Parliament standing committee on the Bill that was formed after the opposition to the Bill in Assam never bothered to submit its report to the government. The Bill is still being opposed, and we can’t accept the Centre trying to push the Bill through an Ordince. We appeal to all people of the State to stand against giving Indian citizenship to any foreigner who entered the State after March 25, 1971.”

The LDMA is a political formation in Assam comprising CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML), NCP, Samajbadi Party, Jata Dal (S), AAP, Asom Sangrami Mancha, LDP, RCPI and AIFB.