GUWAHATI, Jan 25 - Ex-chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta today accused senior BJP leaders, including Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and his Cabinet colleagues, of making provocative and �blatantly� communal statements in public with regard to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, saying such comments by the ruling party�s elected representatives are in violation of the Indian Constitution.
Addressing the media here, he said the Governor and the Assembly Speaker should take cognizance of such statements and take legal action against those who made the comments.
�Ministers and many BJP leaders are trying to provoke communal tension. Such blatantly communal statements will have serious repercussions on the Assamese society and have the potential to cause serious harm to society,� said Mahanta, who is also convenor of the Asom Andolan Sangrami Mancha.
He urged ministers and BJP leaders to refrain from making divisive and communal statements. �The governments of many NE states have already come out openly against the Bill. What is the stand of the State government here?� he asked.
On being told that Sonowal had yesterday, during a BJP meeting here, spoken openly in support of the Bill, Mahanta said, �The decision is against the Assamese nationality. We will keep fighting against the Bill, even inside the Assembly.�
Stating that the Bill, if passed, would violate the Assam Accord, Mahanta called upon the Centre to publicly reveal the data regarding the number of persecuted people from the neighbouring countries who have sought shelter in India.
He said the Asom Andolan Sangrami Mancha has met leaders of various political parties to mobilise efforts against passage of the Bill in the Rajya Sabha.
AGP�s Kumar Deepak Das said the government may pass the Bill by convening a joint session of Parliament and the Mancha would prevent the proposed legislation from becoming a law.
