Ahead of PM's visit to poll-bound Assam, Congress poses 24 questions for him

The Congress in Assam onThursday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi with 24questions on issues such as enactment of the CitizenshipAmendment Act (CAA), the governments ''failure'' to deportBangladeshis illegally living in the state and ''creatinghurdles'' in development of industry.

State Congress president Ripun Bora posed thesequestions in a press conference ahead of the prime ministersvisit to the poll-bound state on Saturday.

The prime minister has endangered the existence of theindigenous Assamese people by imposing the CitizenshipAmendment Act (CAA) on them, Bora alleged.

The CAA says that members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist,Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come fromPakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014facing religious persecution in those countries will not betreated as illegal immigrants but will be given Indiancitizenship.

Many groups in Assam are afraid that CAA would lead toan influx of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, which in turnwould harm the interests of indigenous people.

The Congress leader questioned Modi how can he claimto be a well-wisher of the state when he has totallydisregarded the Assam Accord which pledges protection theindigenous population in the state.

Clause Six of the Assam Accord, 1985, says thatconstitutional, legislative and administrative safeguardsshall be provided to protect, preserve and promote thecultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of theAssamese people.

Bora said that the BJP had announced before the lastassembly elections in 2016 that there will not be a singleillegal Bangladeshi in the state.

''How many Bangladeshis have been deported by Modi? Whydid they (the BJP) have to impose the CAA on us and bring inmore Bangladeshis in the state?'' the Rajya Sabha MP said.

He also asked whether the BJP government has beensuccessful in sealing the Indo-Bangladesh border.

During his recent visit to the state, BJP president JPNadda had claimed that six communities -- tea tribes, Koch-Rajbongshi, Moran, Muttock, Chutia and Tai-Ahom -- have beengranted Scheduled Tribe status, but they have not yet got it,the state Congress president said.

After coming to power in 2014, the prime ministerabolished the North East Industrial and Investment Promotionpolicy, creating hurdles in the way of industrial developmentof Assam, he claimed.

In August 2017, the prime minister had announced afinancial package to control floods in the region but thepromise remained unfulfilled, Bora alleged.

Guwahati has not become a smart city as promised bythe BJP which also sold off 27 oilfields in Upper Assam toprivate companies, the Congress leader claimed.

The prime minister on Saturday will launch a specialprogramme of the Assam government to distribute land 'patta'or land allotment certificates to over one lakh landlessindigenous people.