BJP trying to divide people of Assam: Sushmita

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR, Dec 26: The rendra Modi led NDA Government in the Centre issued a Notification on September 7 for the protection of linguistic minorities, who deserted their tive lands due to persecution or religious persecution and came to India. In connection with it, the Centre was supposed to introduce a Bill in the winter session of the Parliament, but it was not tabled. It should be noted that according to Sumitra Mahajan, Lok Sabha Speaker, the lower house worked for more than 100% in this winter session.

Besides, Amit Shah, tiol president of BJP, during his last visit to the state had remarked that if BJP comes to power in the Assembly elections of 2016, only then a Bill to protect the citizenship rights of linguistic minorities of the state will be promulgated by the Centre. It raises a question if BJP loses the 2016 polls, what will happen to the aggrieved linguistic minorities of the state. These were the points raised by Sushmita Dev, MP Silchar, in a press-meet held in Rajiv Bhawan here today.

MP Dev further said that the guidelines of the Notification of September 7 are yet to be cleared. The BJP is trying to divide the populace of Assam by indulging in vote-bank politics. Dev further raised a few pertinent questions to Sushma Swaraj, Union Exterl Affairs Minister. She wondered if Citizenship Act of 1946 is a Central Act, why are linguistic minorities continue to be branded as ‘D’ voters and sent to detention camps? Besides, which authority is to decide the fate of a minority of Bangladesh entering India for being a victim of religious persecution?

Sushmita further asked what will be the operatiol guidelines based on which these people will be allowed to reside in the state? Will they be given full citizenship rights or will they reside as refugees in the state? She asked that though the Union Exterl Affairs Minister has visited Bangladesh, but has any deportation treaty been signed between the two countries? Dev further wondered if Muslims who came to India after 1971, will be pushed back to Bangladesh by the Centre.

Karnendu Bhattacharjee, district Congress president, condemned Mahendra Singh, BJP state in-charge, for his recent statement that Assam will become a developed state only if the BJP is elected to power.

Bhattacharjee said that if Gujarat even after consecutive terms of BJP rule could not become a fully developed state, how could Assam become a develop state. The district Congress president said that rendra Modi has failed to fulfill any of his pre Lok Sabha poll promises. The BJP leaders visiting Barak Valley give assurances of closing down all the detention camps, but the same leaders while visiting Brahmaputra Valley say that all the suspected foreigners will be sent to detention camps and subsequently pushed back across the border.

He accused Sarbanda Sonowal of keeping an anti-Bengali stance since the days of Asom Andolan. He further said that BJP is nothing but a one man show.