Restrain Centre, state: AGP to Kalam

The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has requested President A P J Abdul Kalam to restrain the Centre and Assam government from enacting any legisla...

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The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has requested President A P J Abdul Kalam to restrain the Centre and Assam government from enacting any legislation following the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Illegal Migrants’ Determination by Tribunal (IMDT) Act.

AGP general secretary Dilip Saikia, in a letter to Kalam that was released to the media here today, urged him to ‘‘use his good offices’’ to restrain the two governments from ‘‘taking any suicidal attempt of either enacting a new piece of legislation’’.

‘‘The UPA government at the Centre is now reportedly evaluating options left with it to play dirty politics in the name of supporting the cause of minority communities and a Group of Ministers has been constituted to examine the Supreme Court’s verdict on IMDT for the purpose,’’ he charged.

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Saikia alleged that the Centre may even try to table another piece of legislation in the coming session of Parliament to protect illegal migrants ‘‘for the purpose of votebank politics’’.

Saikia said that the Congress government in Assam was trying to give a communal colour to the Supreme Court verdict. ‘‘The Tarun Gogoi government in the state must be warned of dire consequences of such an action or else the situation in Assam will turn volatile,’’ he wrote in the letter.

Saikia also requested President Kalam to direct the Centre and the Assam government immediately take appropriate steps to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Illegal migrants entering the state after March 25, 1971, must be detected and deported at the earliest and the international border must be sealed to stop further influx of foreigners, he said.

IUML plea to Centre

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CHENNAI: THE repeal of the IMDT Act has grave consequences for minorities, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) said today. In a statement issued here, IUML president G M Banatwalla appealed to the Centre and state government to ensure adequate protection to minorities from harassment and injustice, as Assam was facing a ‘‘motivated movement’’ against minorities under the pretext of ousting Bangladeshis.