GUWAHATI: Karbi organisations have condemned the Centre for being “indifferent” to their long-pending demand for an autonomous state under Article 244 (A) of the Indian Constitution.
Several organisations in Karbi Anglong have also criticised Union minister of state for home, Kishan Reddy for his statement on the Centre having “no policy for the creation of small states”.
Replying to a Zero Hour notice from Member of Parliament, Horensing Bey earlier this week, Reddy had said that the Union government had no proposal for implementation of Autonomous State under Article 244 (A) of the Constitution.
Mincing no words to slam the Centre, the Joint Action Committee for Autonomous State (JACAS) which has been spearheading the movement for an autonomous state for the Karbis of Assam over the decades, said that the BJP’s pre-poll asurance on the implementation of Article 244 (A) has fallen flat.
“Prior to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the then BJP president, Rajnath Singh had assured that the party would implement Article 244 (A) of the Constitution if it came to power. However no bill has been introduced by BJP in Parliament for implementation of the constitutional provision over the past five years,” Stalyn Ingti, vice-chairman of JACAS, told The Shillong Times from Diphu on Saturday.
“Therefore, by making such a statement now, we can gauge the intention of the party. They have all these years been cheating the people of Karbi Anglong, which we condemn in no uncertain terms,” Ingti said.
Hills State Demand Council president, Selawor Bey also flayed the Union minister, saying, “By making such a statement, BJP has proved that it was against autonomous state.”