Centre’s no to changing Citizenship Act angers AASU

The UPA government’s decision not to amend the provisions of the Citizenship Act granting citizenship rights to offspring of illegal mi...

The UPA government’s decision not to amend the provisions of the Citizenship Act granting citizenship rights to offspring of illegal migrants from Bangladesh in Assam has evoked strong reactions from All Assam Students Union (AASU). While Sriprakash Jaiswal, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, made this policy stand of the UPA government clear in Parliament on Tuesday, AASU president Shankar Prasad Roy and general secretary Tapan Gogoi said it was another proof of the Congress-led regime encouraging infiltration.

AASU, which has been opposing the amended provisions of the Citizenship Act that grants Indian citizenship to the offspring of Bangladeshi infiltrators who entered Assam after 1971 and were born before 1986, also said this was how successive Congress regimes have been ‘‘pushing the indigenous people of Assam into extinction’’.

This not only contradicted the Supreme Court judgement that had scraped the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act, but also increased the threat to India’s security and integrity in the Northeast, the leaders said. The organisation, which announced a state-wide protest day on December 12 to protest against the Centre’s decision, hit out at the Asom Gana Parishad and BJP for remaining silent to this piece of subversive legislation.

Story continues below this ad

On November 18, AASU had told the Centre at a tripartite discussion on the progress of implementation of the Assam Accord that special provisions were urgently required to protect Assam from ‘‘being turned into a Bangladesh’’.

Interestingly, even as AASU has been pressing the Centre to introduce new provisions to save Assam from becoming a ‘‘second Bangladesh’’, the ruling Congress in Assam has moved the Centre to introduce a new Act to fill the void created by the scrapping of the IMDT Act. Assam CM Tarun Gogoi had only recently dispatched a delegation of ministers and minority leaders from the state to ask the Centre to draft a new legislation.

Canada, UK and Australia formally recognise a Palestinian state

World12 hr ago

The UK, Canada, and Australia have recognized Palestine as a state, going against the US and Israel's opposition. British PM Starmer aims to revive peace without Hamas and hostage release. Canada and Australia also recognize Palestine, condemning terrorism. Over 145 UN members recognize Palestine, with France likely to join soon.

View all shorts

Live Blog