Leader's remark on foreigners issue damaged BJP: Ajmal

An Assam BJP leader's remark that the party would take 1951 as the base year to detect foreigners if elected will have "no effect" on minorities and has caused "damage" to it in the second phase of Assembly polls in the state, AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal has said.
Assam BJP's Election Committee Convener Himanta Biswa Sarma's statement during the campaign will in "no way affect the minorities but has severely affected BJP's prospects in the second phase polls in Lower and Central Assam", Ajmal told PTI.
The two-phased Assembly polls in the state took place on April 4 and April 11.

"Sarma made this statement to score politically but it has caused damage to BJP and will electorally benefit Congress the most. In fact, the BJP high-command should take Sarma to task and ask for an explanation from him on this issue," the All India United Democratic Front leader said.
The process of updating the National Register of Citizens is currently on in Assam with 1971 as the base year which was agreed upon in the Assam Accord.
"The demand for 1951 as the base year will in no way affect majority of the Muslims as most can trace their family linkage to 1951 but will actually affect the Hindu Bengalis as most came from Bangladesh after 1971", Ajmal said.

"Our stand is very clear--we stand by the decision of 1971 as the base year which is being followed for updating NRC and we are committed to the Assam Accord," he said.

AIUDF's stand on the issue of foreigners has been clear from the beginning that all foreigners who have come after 1971 must leave but genuine citizens should not be harassed at any cost, Ajmal said.
"Bangladeshis must go. We do not want them to be in Assam but genuine citizens of the country who have been living in the state for generations should not be harassed. I have stated the same in Parliament," he said.

Asked about allegations that his party was formed after the scrapping of the Illegal Migrants Determination Tribunal (IMDT) Act, to protect the interests of Bangladeshi migrants, he said this was "absolutely false and a propaganda spread by Congress".
"Our party was in existence for six months before the scrapping of the IMDT Act in 2005 and we are not for protecting foreigners," he said.
Asked about his party being viewed primarily as a party for the minorities, the AIUDF chief said this was "not true. We are a secular party committed to the development of all communities in the state".

"In this Assembly polls, out of the 73 candidates we have fielded, 33 are from different communities across the state and we want all-round development of all the communities," he said.
On allegations that madarsas in Assam were emerging as hubs for jihadis, Ajmal said these are just "speculation and an example of witch-hunting".
"There is no jihadi activities in madarsas. In most cases, it has been found that people are arrested on suspicion but later released after several years, thereby completely ruining their lives", he said.
Police should arrest only those against whom they have concrete evidence of indulging in such activities and not ruin the lives of people by keeping them in jails, Ajmal said.