The All Assam Students' Union (AASU), in a press conference on Assam Accord, preparation of NRC, Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, and related issues, held in New Delhi, has demanded immediate withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill saying it was unconstitutional as it seeks to grant Indian citizenship only on the basis of religion.
The AASU also said it was not against Hindus, neither Muslims nor Bengalis but against the illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
Addressing the press gathering, AASU advisor Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharya said the entire north-eastern region has voiced its opposition to the Bill, which seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, while governments of Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram have adopted resolutions opposing the proposed Bill.
"A foreigner is a foreigner. He may be Hindu, he may be Muslim. We are against granting citizenship to foreigners on the basis of religion. The Bill must be withdrawn and scrapped immediately," said Bhattacharya.
Bhattacharya said the Bill, if passed, would pave the way for giving citizenship to illegal immigrants from Bangladesh in Assam.
Referring to the ongoing work of updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC), AASU President Dipanka Kumar Nath said the process is not directed against any community, language or religion.
Speaking on Modi, who claimed northeast to be 'Astalakshmi', Bhattacharya said that despite ornamenting northeast with beautiful words, the centre has not changed its views on the region, which becomes clear with move to pass the proposed Bill.
The AASU has alleged that the BJP government at the centre for four years and the in the state for two years, like the previous governments has been unsuccessful in taking any measure in support of the Assam Accord.
Along with the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, AASU has demanded to cancel the 'Passport Entry to India Amendment Rule 2015' and 'Foreigner Amendment Order 2015.
Bhattarya has suggested conducting a two party Indo-Bangladesh meeting in order to lawfully deport the illegal Bangladeshis according to the Assam Accord and has also added that rapidly sealing the border is the only solution to the issue of illegal immigrants.
"The NRC update process is segregating the citizens of India living in Assam from the non-citizens living illegally in Assam. The process is transparent and subject to judicial review. AASU is not against any religion or language; it is only against the illegal presence of Bangladeshi Hindus and Muslims. There should not be an iota of doubt about it," he said.
Further, AASU said that a pure and genuine NRC is the only way to protect the identity and rights of the indigenous people Assam.
