GUWAHATI, July 22 � The Opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) on Thursday stated that the ruling Congress would be seen as traitors of Assam if the process of NRC update is stopped.
Following the Barpeta incident, the Government has already suspended the NRC update which was started as a pilot project in Barpeta district and Chaygaon revenue circle.
The AGP said the Barpeta incident is a conspiracy of the Congress to stop the NRC work and safeguard its vote bank.
The AGP questioned the Government�s role pointing out that the administration is always on a war mood when the opposition or the organized farmers register their protest in a democratic manner, but the same administration did not show the equal degree of alertness in controlling the protesters in Barpeta.
Meanwhile, sharply reacting to the Tarun Gogoi government�s handling of the Barpeta situation, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Assam Pradesh, today demanded the resignation of the Gogoi Government for failing to maintain law and order.
The BJP has described the Barpeta incident as a political conspiracy of the Congress to stop the NRC process as it cannot do without the alleged Bangladeshi votes in the time of election.
The party also slammed the AAMSU, saying the organization has taken the lead, with government connivance, to protect the Bangladeshis and is conspiring against the indigenous people of the State.
Addressing mediapersons here, the party�s national vice-president and MP from Assam Bijoya Chakravorty said that the Assam Government had no right to stop the process of NRC update which has Central sanction and is one of the major provisions of the Assam Accord.
�The decision of the Congress Government to suspend the NRC update is against the interest of the indigenous communities of the State. But the Congress which has been following a policy of appeasement is not at all worried about the indigenous communities,� said Chakravorty.
�The AAMSU is directly protecting the suspected Bangladeshis and the Tarun Gogoi Government is indirectly helping the AMSU,� alleged Chakravorty adding that the Barpeta incident might be another attempt on the part of the government to divert the attention of the people from the NC Hills scam.
The party has warned of vigorous agitation if the government does not start the process of NRC update in all the districts by December this year.
The party will undertake an agitational programme from July 26 to 31 demanding NRC update in all the districts.
Protesting strongly against the decision of the Government to suspend the NRC update, the Vishva Hindu Parishad, Uttar Purva Prant said that this decision has reflected the pro- Bangladeshi stand of the Tarun Gogoi government. It also regretted that the Government was cowed by the activities of the AAMSU. It has warned against stopping the NRC update.
The Communist Party of India, Assam State Council while expressing surprise at the sudden decision of the Tarun Gogoi Government to suspend the NRC update taking advantage of the Barpeta situation demanded the work of NRC update must continue and exclude the names of foreigners entering Assam after March 25,1971.
The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) has suspected the involvement of a �third force� in the entire episode of mayhem created by protesters and subsequent police firing in Barpeta yesterday.
The AJYCP observed that the behaviour of the protesters was uncalled for as no true Indian citizen need to fear the NRC update. The student body further said that the Barpeta incident has cast a negative impact in the process of NRC update and has also raised questions on the Government�s sincerity to resolve the vexed foreigners issue.
The AJYCP made it clear that at any cost the process of NRC update should be completed and warned that it would launch intense agitational programmes if the process is stalled.
The AJYCP has also warned against playing politics with the issue of NRC update.
The Save Guwahati Build Guwahati (SGBG) said that the Barpeta incident is against the Indian philosophy. It criticized the Chief Minister for suspending the NRC update and observed that there was no reason to suspend the work even temporarily. He also criticized the AAMSU for instigating an anti Indian feeling.
�The State government should not encourage fundamentalist groups who want to destroy the heterogeneous social fabric of Assam and spread hatred amongst the different communities of the State,� said Dhiren Baruah, president of SGBG.
