Congress should rectify old habits: BJP

 OUR CORRESPONDENT

Itagar, Oct 4: The BJP in Aruchal Pradesh has asked the Congress High command to enlighten the local party leaders about the history of how the Congress Party allowed settlement of Chakmas and Hajongs in the state.

Terming the Chakma-Hajong issue as 'very sensitive and emotiol' for the people of the state, BJP spokesman Techi Necha today alleged that the Congress is responsible for allowing the refugees to settle in the state.

"The first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru made a blunder by accepting the Buddhist majority Chittagong Hill Tracks to be part of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) which was created for Muslims. The religious persecution by Muslim fundamentalists forced the Chakmas and Hajongs to migrate into India and was allowed to settle in the then NEFA," he said.

Giving the chronology of facts, Necha said, "In 1972 Indira Gandhi entered into an agreement with Sheikh Mujibur Rehman the then Prime Minister of Bangladesh and decided to grant citizenship to Chakmas and Hajings under Sec 5(I) a of citizenship act."

He added that the Congress has again got the facts wrong as the party was in power at the Centre when on January 09 1996, a major judgment was delivered by the Supreme Court directing that the application for citizenship for Chakmas and Hajongs should be looked into and provide full protection to them by state and Central government.

"There are various Parliamentary records where the union government under the sigture of Congress ministers have categorically stated in Parliament that citizenship will be granted to Chakmas and Hajongs as per 1972 Indira Gandhi agreement. However BJP has always been opposing the migration of refugees from across the border and always stood for the protection of Indigenous people," averred Necha.

"The innocent people of Aruchal Pradesh despite the authoritarian attitude of the Congress government have been electing it to the power and BJP has never been elected to power in the state," he added.

The opposition further stated that the people of Aruchal Pradesh cannot forget the "Refugee Go-Back" movement origilly launched by the All Aruchal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU), which had consistently held the view that the refugees are 'foreigners' and Aruchal cannot be made the 'dumping ground', gained momentum in the wake of the 'People's Referendum Rally' held on September 20, 1995 at harlagun and the ruling Congress legislators merged and formed a regiol party, Aruchal Congress (AC) to fight for the issue, but later they returned to Congress and dumped the resolutions of the referendum.

"The common and larger important issue should not be commulized and make it into petty and partisan politics by misleading and diverting public attention. The Congress should now realize and rectify their old habits and attitudes in the changing time and situations," rued Necha.

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