Guwahati, Aug. 7: Opposition Congress on Thursday came down heavily on Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, alleging that by “allowing indigenous people to apply for arms licences, he has asked them to fend for themselves in regard to security, and therefore, “completely failed to govern the state”.
“The chief minister of Assam has failed to provide security to the people. So much so that he has now decided to hand over guns to the people, urging them to take their own security measures. This proves that the chief minister has completely failed to govern the state,” senior Congress leader Ripun Bora said, while addressing a media conference here.
Expressing concern over the apparently volatile situation in Upper Assam on the pretext of tracing illegal immigrants, the former Assam Pradesh Congress president said, “that in accordance with the fundamental rights accorded by the Constitutions, some Muslims from lower Assam have gone to Upper Assam in pursuit of their livelihoods just as Assamese youths go to other parts of the country in search of work.”
“The primary responsibility of a state government is to ensure the security of the citizens of the country. But today it seems that the Assam government has failed miserably in this regard,” Bora claimed.
He however made it clear that if there were Bangladeshis in the state, the government should identify them and take measures to deport them.
“According to the Assam Accord, foreigners who migrated to Assam after March 25, 1971, cannot stay in the state. This is the uncompromising position of the Congress party, but it is unconstitutional to harass Indians by branding them as ‘doubtful citizens’,” the Congress leader said.
He further accused the Assam chief minister of “destroying the Assamese nation, Assamese nationalism and the indigenous people of the state”. “How can a person who disregards the Assam Accord and imposes CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), love Assam?” he asked.
Criticising the chief minister over non-implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, Bora said, “You formed a commission headed by retired Justice Biplab Sharma and promised to implement the report submitted by that commission in letter and spirit for the protection of indigenous people. But where has that promise gone today? If you love Assam, as you claim to, then follow the recommendations of the Commission and implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, that provides safeguards to the people of the state and their identity.”
He further alleged that the BJP government claimed to be “with the indigenous people, but in reality, it is anti-indigenous.”
“This government has handed over thousands of bighas of our land to Ramdev, Adani and Ambani. This proves that this government is depriving the rights of indigenous people,” Bora opined.