Facing ire of people over citizenship law, allay fears: BJP

A group of BJP legislators met Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday and urged him to intervene immediately to allay fears and doubts among people regarding the amended Citizenship Act. Around 14 BJP MLAs told Sonowal that they are facing the ire of the people due to the citizenship law, BJP's Sootea MLA Padma Hazarika told reporters after the meeting at the chief minister's residence.

He said there is a "mistrust in the BJP and their leaders" due to the law and it must be cleared at the earliest. Hazarika said anger against BJP MLAs has aggravated due to certain statements made by some ministers, though he refused to name them.

"People in our respective constituencies are demanding our resignations and I want to assure them that if our resignation can resolve the problems then we are prepared to resign," he added. Hazarika said the chief minister must make his stand clear to the people as a misinformation campaign has been launched by a section of people and "we are being targeted" by the people for no reason.

"Houses of many party leaders, workers and MLAs, including mine have been attacked. We have been abused and many of our workers cannot come out of their homes. As far as I know, all party workers want illegal Bangladeshis to be identified and deported from the state," he said. The MLAs also urged the chief minister to take strong steps regarding protection of language, culture and the people, and also to ensure strong constitutional safeguards in these matters, Hazarika said.

The chief minister should urge the Centre to ensure that Clause 6 and 7 of the Assam Accord, securing constitutional safeguards for language and culture and all- round economic development of the state, are implemented at the earliest, he said. The MLA further said that Assamese should be declared state language to ensure that there is no threat to the language, and at the same time the six communities -- Chutia, Matak, Moran, Koch-Rajbongshis, Tai-Ahom and Tea Tribes -- which are demanding Scheduled Tribe status, should be granted.

"I have entered politics through students' movements and I honour and respect their (AASU's) democratic right to carry out protests but a section of protestors have taken advantage of the situation to create trouble," he added. Dibrugarh MLA Prashanta Phukan said they have also asked the chief minister to urge the Centre to take steps to remove the doubts regarding the Act as "we also want that all illegal Bangladeshis be deported from the state"..