Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making ‘poll-time’ hollow promise on Citizenship (Amendment) Bill to tap ‘Hindu Bengali vote bank’ in the next Lok Sabha election.
Modi while launching party’s election rally in Silchar vowed that the BJP government would get the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 passed soon to amend the mistakes committed during the Partition.
In reaction, a battery of APCC leaders led by president Ripun Bora termed it a hollow promise before the general election.
“The JPC will table the Bill in Lok Sabha on January 7 and the Winter Session of the Parliament will end on January 8. So, how will the BJP government will pass the Bill soon,” APCC president Ripun Bora said.
“As the Bill intends to grant citizenship to persecuted Hindu refugees from neighbouring countries including Bangladesh, the PM was out to placate the community voters while addressing the rally at Silchar,” the APCC leaders said.
Also read: Assam: Centre move on Clause 6 of Assam Accord decried
The state Congress leaders accused the PM of side-stepping all burning issues like lack of industrialisation, raging demand for ST status to six indigenous communities, dismantling of detention camps to save genuine citizens from harassment, revival of two paper mills in the state.
Congress leader Rakibul Hussain said that BJP-led central government’s stand on Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and implementation of Clause 6 of Assam Accord is contradictory.