ITANAGAR, Oct 24 - The BJP in Arunachal Pradesh has termed the Chakma-Hajong issue as �very sensitive and emotional� for the people of the State and held Congress responsible for allowing the issue to fester.
BJP spokesman Techi Necha said in a statement recently, �Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had made a blunder by accepting the Buddhist majority Chittagong Hill Tracts to be part of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) which forced the Chakmas and Hajongs to migrate to India and then allowing them to settle in the area.�
Necha said, �In 1972, Indira Gandhi entered into an agreement with Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, the then Prime Minister of Bangladesh and decided to grant citizenship to Chakmas and Hajongs under Sec 5(I) a of Citizenship Act.�
�There are various Parliamentary records where the Union Government under the signature of Congress Ministers have categorically stated in Parliament that citizenship will be granted to Chakmas and Hajongs as per 1972 Indira Gandhi agreement. However, BJP has always been opposing the migration of refugees from across the border and always stood for the protection of indigenous people,� said Necha. � PTI
