AXM clears the air on illegal B'deshis

Guwahati, April 21: At the meeting of the steering committee and office-bearers of the Axom Xatra Mahaxabha (AXM) held at Paltan Bazar Naamghar in the city on Saturday, it was decided that all illegal immigrants from Bangladesh who had entered Assam after March 25, 1971 – the cut-off date as stipulated by the Assam Accord – must leave the State regardless of religion.

The AXM has been mired in controversy over its stand vis-à-vis the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 in which the impression went out that it supported the Bill, drawing widespread criticism from a gamut of ethnic organizations in the State, including the AASU.

At the meeting, it was made clear that the statement of its secretary general  Kusum Kumar Mahanta  was not endorsed by the AXM, and he has been asked to withdraw his controversial statement regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. Mahanta had earlier made a statement that the Bill “required to be passed considering the drastic demographic change, particularly in the State of Assam, by unabated and mala fide agenda driven influx of illegal Muslim migrants…”

The AXM has suspended Kusum Kr Mahanta and vice-president Akhil Mahanta, and a show-cause notice will be served on them in a week.

The AXM has constituted a three-member committee comprising Dr Lakhinandan Bora, Nilomoni Mahanta and Dulal Goswami to look into the whole controversy.

At the same time, the AXM has also appealed to Uttar Kamalabari  Xatradhikar Janardhan Devgoswami – who is not AXM member – not to make any controversial remark.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Jitendra Nath Pradhani, who is the AXM president. Dipak Baruah has given charge as general secretary in place of Kusum Kr Mahanta.