The All Assam Students Union (AASU) today accused Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi of "protecting the interest of illegal Bangladeshis in the state by taking steps to get their names registered in the National Register of Citizens (NRC) that contains details of every Indian citizen.
"Gogoi is conspiring to divide Assam, destroy the state and create confusion in the interest of Bangladeshi origin voters here," AASU chief advisor Dr Samujjal Bhattacharjya talking to reporters here.
"Gogoi is busy making attempts to make Bangladeshis, citizens of India. This will never be accepted", the leader said.
AASU president Dipanka Kumar Nath addressing the press conference said, "We will not accept Tarun Gogoi's attempts and will soon file a petition in the Supreme Court that Gogoi is trying to go against the apex court's order on NRC updation by hampering the process and including the names of illegal migrants in the Register."
Presenting documents on the minutes of the tripartite meeting among the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and AASU leadership on May 5, 2005 in Delhi, Nath said "Gogoi should have gone through the minutes of the meeting before making his statement on June 23. He is hampering the updation of the NRC process by his statement."
Quoting the minutes he said "CM, Assam said the State Government has agreed to update the 1951 NRC by including names of persons from the electoral rolls upto 1971 and their descendants."
"Gogoi has taken steps for inclusion of names of illegal Bangladeshis in the NRC to protect their interest at a time when the state is poised for the Assembly elections next year," the AASU leader alleged.
AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi quoted a July 12, 2005 Supreme Court judgment "This being the situation there can be no matter of doubt that the state of Assam is facing 'external aggression and internal disturbance' on account of largescale illegal migration of Bangladeshi nationals.
