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AASU opposes govt move on citizenship Bill

By STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Dec 16 - The Centre�s reported move to bring the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 before the Parliament in the Winter Session to give citizenship to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Christians, Parsis and Sikhs, who fled from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, has been strongly opposed by the All Assam Students Union (AASU). The student body has also threatened to launch a statewide movement along with 28 other organisations representing various ethnic groups of Assam if the Centre tries to forcibly impose the Bill on the people of the State.

AASU chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya told The Assam Tribune that the student body and the organisations representing the ethnic groups of the State would not allow the spirit of the Assam Accord to be diluted. He pointed out that Assam has already taken the burden of the foreigners who entered the State till the midnight of March 24, 1971. �The State will not take any more burden of foreign nationals irrespective of their religion,� he said, adding, as per the Accord, any foreigner, who entered the State illegally after the midnight of March 24, 1971, should be detected and deported and the Government of India must keep its commitment.

Bhattacharya said if the Bill is passed in the Parliament by the BJP-led government, it would face a vigorous movement in Assam. He said the BJP-led coalition government in the State, which came to power with the promise of safeguarding the interests of the indigenous people, should also put pressure on the Centre in this regard.

The AASU chief adviser also pointed out that though a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was formed to examine the Bill and take the views of all concerned, the panel did not consult the indigenous people of the State. The JPC had taken the views of the AASU but it did not consult other stakeholders, including the organisations representing the ethnic groups of the State. The JPC members also cancelled their visit to Assam at the last moment, he added.

On the reported statement of BJP MP from Tezpur RP Sharma, who had claimed that the AASU would accept the Bill, Bhattacharya warned the parliamentarian that he should desist from making irresponsible comments to create confusion in the minds of the people.

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