GUWAHATI, Nov 1 ? The All Assam Students? Union (AASU) has decided to launch an agitation in protest against the decision of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government to retain the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act and members of the Union today burnt effigies of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in the city today.
AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya said that the IMDT Act is protecting the interests of not only the foreign nationals but also of the agents of the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). He said that the students? union would announce an agitational programme in a day or two demanding scrapping of the controversial Act.
Bhattacharya, who is also the chairman of the North East Students? Organisation (NESO), said that the decision of the UPA Government was on expected lines as the Congress was always protecting the interest of the foreign nationals to create a vote bank. He said that the Congress would not be able to indulge in vote bank politics on the issue of IMDT Act if the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is updated and that is why the Chief Minister is not keen on updating the Act.
The AASU adviser also came down heavily on other political parties for their failure to take a strong stand on the IMDT Act. He said that the BJP is raising a hue and cry on the issue now but during its tenure in power, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government failed to do the needful for the scrapping of the Act.
He alleged that the BJP president, LK Advani, as the Union Home Minister failed to convene a single round of political dialogue on the implementation of the Assam Accord and he even did not find time to visit the Indo-Bangla border when 16 Border Security force (BSF) men were brutally killed by Bangladeshis near Mankachar.
The AASU also did not spare the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), and alleged that during its two tenures in the Government since the signing of the Assam Accord, the AGP failed to take any positive step for the implementation of the Assam Accord and scrapping of the IMDT Act. Bhattacharya said that now the AGP has started demanding scrapping of the IMDT Act but the party has not been able to build up a strong movement.
He also said that the Left parties were maintaining double standard on the issue as the leaders of the Left parties in Assam demand retention of the Act, while at the same time, the West Bengal Chief Minister is opposed to imposition of the Act in his State.
Bhattacharya said that there should not be two sets of laws in the country for the detection of foreigners. He pointed out that in all other States, the foreigners are detected under the provisions of the Foreigners Act, while in Assam, the foreigners are detected under the provisions of the IMDT Act, which is discriminatory for the State.
?We also do not want harassment of any genuine Indian citizen in the process of detection of foreigners but if Indian citizens are not harassed in any other State of the country, why should they be harassed only in Assam?? he questioned.