Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

BJP clarifies stand on Citizenship Bill

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Oct 24 - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Assam Pradesh, while reiterating its stand to safeguard the indigenous communities of the State, on Monday announced that it is committed to the issue of protecting the refugees who have fled their respective countries on account of religious persecution.

The party, voicing its support to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 that aims to grant Indian citizenship not only to the Bengali Hindus from Bangladesh, but also to all Hindus, Parsis, Christians, Buddhists and Sikhs of Pakistan and Afghanistan, who are seeking refuge in India due to religious persecution, said that the issue was national and not just Assam-centric.

State BJP spokesperson Rupam Goswami said that before election also the party had made its stand clear on the issue of protection of persecuted refugees from Bangladesh.

�We stand clear on the issue of extending our support to the Bill and want to assure the people of Assam that the party will never compromise with the security and identity of the indigenous communities,� said Goswami.

It needs to be mentioned that the BJP-led State government has been attracting the public ire of late because of this Bill. Several ethnic and political

organisations have strongly registered their opposition against the Bill slamming the government as the Bill is contradictory to the Assam Accord, which clearly states that the cut-off year is 1971 whether Hindu or Muslim. If amended, the Act would enable over lakhs of undocumented Hindu Bangladeshis residing in the State to get Indian citizenship.

Goswami said that the BJP has never compromised on the interests of Assam and the indigenous people and criticised the Congress and the Leftists alleging that they have been spreading rumours and misleading the people on the Bill.

�The BJP respects the Assam Accord and no steps would be taken that is detrimental to the welfare of the indigenous people of Assam,� asserted Goswami.

Next Story