NEW DELHI, Oct 27 ? Expectations of repeal of the controversial IMDT Act have been dashed to the ground with the Union Cabinet today approving retention of the Act in the present form. The Union Cabinet?s decision was in line with the stand of the Congress Party on the Act and was taken to clarify its stand in the Supreme Court where the validity of the Act was challenged.
?The Union Cabinet today approved the retention of the IMDT Act 1983 and its application to the State of Assam in the present form,? the single paragraph resolution said putting to an end speculations that the UPA Government might propose amendments to the Act.
The Cabinet resolution came on a day when the BJP national convention passed a political resolution that highlighted the issue of illegal infiltration from Bangladesh. UPA Government has, purely for vote-bank considerations, turned a blind eye to large-scale infiltration of Bangladeshis. This demographic invasion, if unchecked, will render every other problem in the region intractable.
?Future generations of Indians will not forgive the Congress and the Communists for deliberately ignoring this grave threat to our national security and national integrity?, the resolution said.
The national convention demands that the UPA government send a strong message to the present government in Bangladesh not to harbour anti-India extremist outfits on its soil and to cooperate with India in stopping the infiltration of its nationals into our country. The UPA government is certainly the worst since Independence judged by its performance in the crucial area of internal security.
On one hand, it is proving to be clueless about how to deal with extremist violence in the North-East, while addressing the genuine problems and aspirations of the people with understanding and sensitivity, the resolution said.
The Cabinet resolution however, seen as a major victory for Tarun Gogoi Government, which has been facing lot of flak from the minority organisations, its prime support base for the goof up last month when the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told the Supreme Court that they are planning to seek approval of the Centre to re-introduce the Bill to repeal the IMDT Act during the next Session of the Parliament.
?The MHA is in the process to seek the fresh approval of the new Government on the question of re-introduction of the Bill in the Parliament,? the Status Report said. The Status Report alarmed Gogoi Government and the Chief Minister personally took up the issue with the Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil when he had visited the State early this month to take stock of the situation in the aftermath of the series of violent incidents. To the embarrassment of the UPA Government it was pointed out that the Congress Party had a Congress Working Committee (CWC) resolution opposing its repeal. On his return, the Union Home Minister asked his officials to ensure the necessary changes in the MHA?s stand before the Apex Court, ruling out any possibility of going for repealing the Act, sources said.
Accordingly the Centre sought adjournment of the hearing of the case in the Supreme Court on the ground that the issue was yet to be taken up by the Union Cabinet. The Court granted them three weeks time and the case is now coming up for hearing early next month.
Subsequently, the MHA moved a Cabinet note that in effect rescinded the NDA Government?s decision to repeal the IMDT Act thereby putting an end to the issue. The last Regime in a Cabinet meeting held on May 6, 2003 decided to repeal the Act. In pursuant to the decision of the Cabinet, a Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on May 9 the same year.
The Lok Sabha Speaker had referred the Bill for examination to the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on MHA, which was headed by Pranab Mukherjee. The Standing Committee held several round of sittings spread over couple of months recording evidence of individual, associations and State Government on the Bill. But consensus still eluded, with Congress and BJP members opposing each other. The stalemate continued and the Committee could not submit its recommendations to the Parliament.
The Lok Sabha meanwhile was dissolved and the Bill lapsed and things were back to square one. The fate of the Act now lie in the hands of the Supreme Court, which is hearing the Writ Petition filed by AGP MP, Sarbananda Sonowal challenging the Act. A number of counter petitions have also been filed by several organisations including the APCC, United Minority Front, and Jamaat-e-ulema-hind among others.
Reacting to the development, Sarbananda Sonowal said that by retaining the discriminatory Act, the UPA Government was politicising the issue and do not want the State to be free from illegal migrants. ?We have full faith in the Supreme Court and confident that it would take a final view on the issue keeping the larger interest of the nation in mind,? Sri Sonowal said.