All Assam Students’ Union Slams Sarbananda Sonowal Government for Giving Nod Passage of Citizenship Bill

Our Staff Correspondent

Dibrugarh: All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) on Saturday came down heavily on the ruling BJP party headed by Sarbananda Sonowal for giving nod to update the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

Addressing a press meet at Srimanta Shankardev Auditorium of DHS Kanoi College, AASU general secretary Lurin Jyoti Gogoi stated, “No one, irrespective of their religion and language, who had entered Assam after March 24, 1971, would be granted citizenship. All must be deported.”

The BJP in their executive meeting at Majuli which concluded on Thursday, resolved in presence of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who on other occasions promised not to step in any act which would jeopardize the interest of indigenous people of the State, to consider the implementation of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2018.

“AASU cannot dishonour the sacrifices of all those martyrs and thousands of others who were inflicted with injury, loss of properties, chastity and precious academic years during the AASU-led Assam Agitation and as such, if necessary, AASU will go to any extent to thwart such political design with a single agenda to gain power,” the AASU general secretary added. Gogoi further stated that the BJP government, since taking over the reign of power at the Centre and the State, has been trying to provide citizenship to all Hindu Bangladeshis who entered Assam after March 24, 1971, by ignoring the welfare and interest of the State as well as its indigenous people.

Cautioning the State Government on probable people’s backlash for showing audacity to insult the sentiments and demands of indigenous people, Gogoi further said “Our stand is very clear. The State will not bear or accept any additional burden of foreigners of post-1971 period.”

AASU general secretary Gogoi also clarified, “The AASU is not against any linguistic or religious minority or any community, but it does not mean that organization will tolerate evil design of any quarters to hurt the self-esteem of indigenous people or to rule the State by invoking communal sentiments.”

Gogoi urged upon Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to rise above all political bindings and oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and muster the courage to say ‘no’ to accept the bill like the Chief Ministers of Nagaland and Meghalaya. Failing to show courage to oppose the bill, Gogoi said, “Chief Minister Sonowal’s name will be written in history as a puppet Chief Minister.”