BJP seeks to douse fires

MINORITY REFUGEES

Why are protesting organizations silent on Xatra land encroachment, asks Siddhartha

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Sept 19: The State BJP today sought to quell the outrage over the Centre's decision to regularize minority refugees from Bangladesh and Pakistan, saying nowhere in the government notification it is mentioned that Assam will have to take the sole burden of the refugees.

Claiming that Union minister VK Singh's statement was misrepresented by the media, State BJP president Siddhartha Bhattacharya said "what he (VK Singh) intended to communicate was something different."

Bhattacharya, however, did not elaborate what Singh meant by stating that Assam will have to take the burden of such refugees.

Taking potshots at organizations opposing the Centre's decision, Bhattacharya said these organizations have never raised their voices against encroachment of Xatra lands by illegal migrants. "No one is speaking on the issue. They have never pressed the government to clear these encroached lands. Has Akhil Gogoi ever said a word against Xatra land encroachment? Suddenly, he is speaking on the migrants' issue now," Bhattacharya said.

He said that BJP's stand on minority immigrants was clear and it had made it public during the Lok Sabha election campaign last year itself. "The party is now simply acting on it," he said.

"It is not necessary that Assam will have to take the sole burden of the minority migrants. The government's notification doesn't state anything on this line," the BJP president said.

Hitting out at the Congress-led State government, Bhattacharya said development funds were being used in poll-oriented schemes. "It is neglecting serious issues like floods," he said.

Citing statistics of the tiol Crime Records Bureau, Bhattacharya said law and order situation in the State was deteriorating by the day and the government has failed to bring it under control.

In order to highlight the "all-round failure of the State government", the BJP will stage a 24-hour strike at Last Gate on October 21.