AGP committed 'historic blunder' by not supporting Citizenship Bill: Sarma

The Asom Gana Parishad has committed a ''historic blunder'' by not extending its support to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and betrayed the people of Assam, state minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Tuesday.

His remark came a day after the AGP withdrew its support to the ruling BJP-led alliance in the state.

Former chief minister and senior Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta had committed the first blunder by signing the Assam Accord and his party made the second ''historic blunder'' by not extending support to the bill, Sarma said.

''We are grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the bill and saving 18 assembly seats in Assam from going into the hands of 'Jinnah' or the AIUDF's (All India United Democratic Front) Badruddin Ajmal," the BJP leader said.

On Sunday, Sarma courted controversy, saying the state cannot have a detection and deportation policy "at the cost of Jinnah" and Ajmal as chief minister.

"This is a fight between Jinnah's legacy and India's legacy," the Assam finance minister had said, clarifying he was not pointing at any community, but Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah's philosophy.

The Lok Sabha Tuesday passed the bill that seeks to amend Citizenship Act 1955 to grant Indian nationality to people from minority communities -- Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians -- from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after six years of residence in India instead of 12 even if they don't possess any proper document.

''I am proud of being an Assamese and the BJP is committed to protect the interest of the indigenous population," the minister told reporters here.

''We have to do it on the basis of religion! On the basis of what else can we stop illegal immigration.

"It is well known that our land has been taken by Muslim migrants and now we cannot allow anymore encroachment of our assets like 'sattras' (monastery) and Kaziranga", Sarma, the BJP's face in the Northeast, said.

The Congress and the Trinamool Congress wants that land rights be given to the Muslims but, this cannot be accepted, he said.

Sarma, who is convenor of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), said he was not apologetic about supporting the bill on the basis of religion.

''The bill will stop illegal immigration and I do not want to argue with AASU (All Assam Students' Union) or others.

"In the process, if our party office or our houses are burnt, then we do not mind but will accept it as our sacrifice for the cause of land and community,''the minister said.

Referring to the introduction of a bill in Parliament on Tuesday to grant tribal status to six communities of Assam, Sarma said Prime Minister Modi has done a great service to the people of Assam by bringing it.

''The decision by Modiji to grant tribal status to six communities of Assam: Motoks, Morans, Chutia, Koch-Rajbangshi, Tai Ahom and Tea Tribes /adivasis is historic'', he said.

The bill has been introduced as per Registrar General of India's and Schedule Tribes Commission recommendation and ''reaffirms our Jati-Mati-Bheti (Community, Land and Homeland) slogan and commitments'', Sarma said.