Guwahati, July 16: Regional party Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) has voiced concern over the Assam government’s recent directive to the state’s border police, asking the latter not to refer citizenship cases of people from Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who entered India before December 31, 2014, to foreigners’ tribunals.
In a statement, AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi and general secretary Jagdish Bhuyan condemned the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government for issuing the directive to the special director general of the border branch of Assam Police, perceiving the move as a threat to the existence and identity of the Assamese people.
Notably, the directive, issued by the state home and political department on July 5, instructs the state’s border police not to take legal action against persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Jain, Parsi and Buddhist communities, who entered Assam from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan prior to December 31, 2014.
“The decision disregards the strong sentiment of the Assamese people against illegal immigration,” the AJP leaders stated.
Accusing the BJP government of consistently undermining the Assamese and other indigenous cultures, languages and ethnic dignity, the AJP leaders termed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) a “black law” for Assam.
They further warned that such laws would systematically erode the cultural, linguistic and political power of the Assamese community.
It may be recalled that the Ministry of Home Affairs had, on March 11, 2024, notified the Citizenship Amendment Rules, 2024 that would enable implementation of CAA passed by the Parliament in 2019.
The regional party also demanded immediate implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, while accusing the BJP-led government in the state of failing to safeguard the rights and identity of the indigenous communities.
The party maintained that implementation of the Assam Accord, in its entirety, was essential for ensuring permanent protection of the indigenous population and their cultural identity.