Congress urges Centre to grant citizenship to Hindu migrants from Bangladesh

Guwahati: Congress on Monday urged central government to grant citizenship to Hindu migrants from Bangladesh, a move that will boost BJP’s long-standing view for all those crossing the border due to “religious disturbances”. [caption id=“attachment_2274162” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] “We urge the central government to grant citizenship to all Bengali Hindu people, who crossed over to Assam after being subjected to inhuman tortures following the partition of the country,” Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President Anjan Dutta told reporters in Guwahati. These people were citizens of undivided India and they were forced to flee from their owned lands for saving their lives after being tortured on the basis of religion, he added. “The resolution on Congress’ this stand was taken during the executive meeting of APCC on May 25 in the presence of AICC General Secretary and Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi,” Dutta said. Congress’ this move is a deviation from their earlier stand of opposing different treatments to illegal Bangladeshi immigrants on the basis of religion. However, BJP has always been supporting the idea of giving citizenships to all Hindu immigrants from Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries after fleeing due to alleged tortures. “Some Hindus have come from Bangladesh due to religious disturbances. BJP will give all of them citizenship with religious sympathy once we come to power in Assam next year,” BJP President Amit Shah had said at a rally in Guwahati on 26 April this year. Following this, Congress had strongly criticised the BJP and the Central government by saying it was communalising the long-pending illegal immigration issue. Dutta also said Congress expressed grave concern for “Buddhists and poeple from other communities” also who had come to Assam and India after being tortured on the basis of religion. PTI