Congress trying to protect those who believe in Jinnah line: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati: Assam finance minister and the BJP’s top Northeast strategist Himanta Biswa Sarma said here Sunday the Citizenship Bill 2016 was “complementary” to Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, and “not contradictory”. Asserting that people were commenting on the Citizenship Bill in response to a “lot of rumours” being spread by a “section of intellectuals”, Mr Sarma said: “A section of intellectuals are trying to create their own narrative on the Citizenship Bill. They are (talking) as if the bill is meant to bring Bangladeshis. That is not so.”

He said: “If there is no Citizenship Bill, it will be like surrendering to Jinnah’s philosophy.”

Justifying New Delhi’s decision, he argued: “If the Citizenship Bill is not brought, more than six lakh names will be deleted from the voters’ list of Sarbhog constituency and it will go into the hands of those who believe in Jinnah’s philosophy.”

Claiming that the Citizenship Bill was to protect at least 17 constituencies from impending demographic invasion, he said: “This is a fight between those who believe in Jinnah’s philosophy and India’s philosophy.” He added: “The detection and deportation of foreign nationals will continue, but not to facilitate an opportunity that Maulana Badruddin Ajamal becomes chief minister of Assam.” It is significant that Mr Ajmal, who heads All India United Democratic Front, is alleged to have been patronising illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

He said: “Let the Citizenship Bill be passed. We will come to know that it is aimed at protecting the state from a demographic invasion.”

Saying that the Supreme Court, in its judgment, had said that a “demographic invasion” from Bangladesh was now threatening the country’s integrity and sovereignty, Mr Sarma said: “Our prime focus is to protect the integrity and sovereignty of the nation... the Citizenship Bill is part of it.”

He also attacked the Congress, accusing it of “trying to protect the people who believed in Jinnah philosophy”. Mr Sarma said: “The Congress Party was trying to incorporate amendments in the bill that all those, irrespective of their caste, creed and religion, who came to India up to 2014 should get citizenship.” He said the BJP wanted to extend the benefit of citizenship only to Hindus, but they wanted that Muslim immigrants should also get the benefit. “It may look that we are not secular, but in the wake of the Supreme Court’s observations, our focus is to save Assam from a demographic invasion.”

He reiterated that the Congress wanted “Jinnah” to stay in India, but doesn’t want the Hindus who came to India because of religious persecution.