GUWAHATI, Sept 16 - Reacting to the ongoing protests in the State by different student bodies, political parties and civil society organisations opposing the Central Government�s recent move to regularise stay of non-Muslim immigrants, VK Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs today called for an end to all controversy in this connection.
Singh, who was in Guwahati to attend the State BJPs programme on Prime Minister�s MUDRA Bank Yojana, said that too much politicisation of the issue will cause various polarisations in the society that would be detrimental to the development of the country.
Addressing mediapersons here, Singh said that there was total misconception over the issue that has triggered wide spread protests in the State. He also termed the agitations as not normal. �This is a pan-India notification and not applicable to just a particular area. Hence, this issue should not be politicised,� said Singh adding that it is natural and pragmatic for people to go to the nearby places when they migrate and so the burden has fallen on Assam after the 1971 war.
It needs to be mentioned here that the Centre�s decision to allow immigrants who are minorities in Bangladesh and Pakistan to stay in the country without valid documents has created a volatile situation in the State. Demonstrations, bandhs and agitations have been staged by various student bodies and civil society organisations against the Centre�s move.
The Centre had decided on humanitarian grounds to allow non-Muslim immigrants, who entered India before December 14, 2014, to stay on in the country without valid documents and issued notifications in the Gazette under the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and the Foreigners Act, 1946 in this regard.
Regarding the MUDRA Bank Yojana, Singh said this scheme will benefit the people of North East.
