Assam moves centre on citizenship for those fleeing persecution

GUWAHATI: What is seen as a Congress attempt to corner Hindu Bengali votes in poll bound Assam, the state government has dashed a proposal to the Centre seeking citizenship for those who came to Assam following threat to life.
This has evoked sharp reactions. Assam Minister for Panchayat and Rural Development, Rakibul Hussain told ET, "We have send proposal to the Centre seeking citizenship for those who came to Assam following threat to life."

Assam cabinet had earlier decided to move Government of India to frame a policy for granting asylum to persons who have fled religious persecution and discrimination and taken refuge in India during partition.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had submitted a memorandum to the then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on April 20, 2012, pleading that Indian citizens who had to flee due to religious persecution and discrimination at the time of partition should not be treated as foreigners on humanitarian grounds.

However, this proposal at a time when update of National Register of Citizens (NRC) is underway, has sparked off a controversy.

It is alleged the Congress government is out to derail the NRC update process, which is under way under Supreme Court's directive.

BJP spokesperson Shiladit ya Dev said the Congress gov ernment is playing dangerous politics with the sovereignty of the country by protecting illegal Bangladeshi Infiltrators. Shiladitya said recently the state government had taken a Cabinet decision to provide citizenship to the Hindu migrants from Bangladesh since they were victims of religious persecution but the same was not forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

"This is nothing but blackmail by the Gogoi Government. Whenever elections are close, the Congress starts playing such gimmicks. Actually, the Congress is not serious about the Hindu migrants who became a victim of partition and subsequently torture by Bangladesh," the BJP spokesperson added.