From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI: Even as the Union Cabinet Wednesday gave the green signal for the CAB to be tabled in Parliament next week, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), held a sit-in demonstration at Last Gate here urging the Centre to scrap the contentious legislation.
In a memorandum sent to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Badruddin Ajmal-led party clearly stated that it stood firmly against CAB “which is bound to disturb the peaceful existence of the people of Assam which has a large number of tribes and people belonging to various castes and cultures, speaking different languages.”
“AIUDF firmly stands by the Assam Accord 1985, according to which the cut-off date for detection of foreigners in Assam is March 25, 1971. Our clear stand is that we are for detection and deportation of post-1971foreigners from the state, irrespective of caste, creed and religion through due process of law,” the memorandum said.
The Opposition party in Assam maintained that the proposed Bill “violates the basic feature of the Constitution of India.”
“Moreover the proposed legislation violates the Assam Accord of 1985 and Section 6A of the Citizenship Act 1955, as amended in the year 1985. CAB will (adversely) impact not only the state but the socio-economic and political aspects of the country,” the memorandum said.
It said that post partition, Assam has already borne the burden of about 25 lakh registered and unregistered refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan and that the state was not in a position to bear the burden of more refugees.
“Owing to lack of industries in Assam, the state is not in a position to solve its unemployment problem and the proposed amendment shall only add to the woes of the already-burdened people of the state,” it said.
“As such, we urge you to initiate necessary measures so that the Bill is not brought on the floor of Parliament,” the party stated in the memorandum.