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AASU slams BJP for going back on promises

By R DUTTA CHOUDHURY

GUWAHATI, Nov 20 - People will lose faith on non violent democratic movement if the Government of India violates the Assam Accord by passing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and the Centre will be solely responsible for the consequences, said chief adviser of the All Assam Students� Union (AASU), Samujjal Bhattacharya. He also alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has gone back on its promises on the issue of detection and deportation of foreigners from Assam.

Talking to The Assam Tribune, Bhattacharya pointed out that the Assam Accord was a result of a six year long democratic movement and if the Centre violates the Accord by passing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, it would send wrong signals and people would lose faith on democratic movements. However, at the same time, he clarified that the AASU would continue democratic and non violent movement against the Bill. He also said that the Accord was a national commitment and the Prime Minister had announced the signing of it from the Red Fort on the Independence Day. If the Accord is violated now, the youths will completely lose faith on such democratic movements.

Bhattacharya alleged that the ruling party is trying to create disturbance in Assam just to protect its vote bank and in the process, it is working against national interest. He also alleged that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is a ploy of the Government to derail the process of updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which is going on under the constant monitoring of the Supreme Court. He further said that the Centre is maintaining double standards. On one hand, the Centre is appealing to the youths of Jammu and Kashmir not to resort to stone pelting, while, on the other, it is not paying respect to non violent moments in Assam, he added.

Hitting out against the BJP, Bhattacharya pointed out that over the years, the leaders of the party have been going back on the promises made. Before the last general elections, Narendra Modi had claimed that all Bangladeshi nationals would be thrown out of the country if the BJP is voted to power, but after becoming the Prime Minister, he did exactly the opposite and he is now trying to protect Bangladeshi nationals. How can a secular country give citizenship to someone on the basis of religion, he questioned.

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