BJP-RSS using Citizenship Bill to make India religious state: KMSS

KMSS Adviser Akhil Gogoi Thursday slammed the BJP over the Citizenship Bill and alleged that the saffron party with its parent body RSS tried to convert India into another Pakistan through the divisive bill.

Addressing a press conference, the RTI activist-cum-peasant leader, who has been at the forefront of the agitation against the bill for the last two years, said the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS)-led 70 groups will soon approach the Supreme Court to cancel the Passport (entry into India) Amendment Rules, 2015 and Foreigners (Amendment) Order, 2015.

"It was a classic fight of the regional forces of northeast against the communal forces. It showed the actual enemies of Assam and northeast. It proved that RSS and BJP are all time biggest enemies of the region and they cannot be our friends," Gogoi said.

 

Gogoi, litterateur Hiren Gohain and a senior journalist Manjit Mahanta were booked under sedition charge for their remarks on the controversial bill earlier.

He termed the Centre's inability to table the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in the Rajya Sabha as a victory of Indian democracy along with a big win for the northeast.

"The people of northeast saved the Indian democracy, the secular fabric and the Constitution. We defeated RSS-BJP and Narendra Modi-Amit Shah, who tried to convert India into another Pakistan the way Jinnah did. We did not allow India to become Pakistan," he said.

"In this fight, the biggest soldier in India are the Assamese people. It is like a win for the northeast Regiment. BJP, RSS tried to make India a religious state like ISIS. This struggle also strengthened the federalism," Gogoi said.

For the first time, a regional struggle became national and parties like JD(U), AAP, Congress, Samajwadi Party, Biju Janata Dal, Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena, Rashtriya Janata Dal and others opposed the bill, he added.

Gogoi, however, said that the struggle has not ended yet as there is a doubt that an ordinance might be introduced for six months, although the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cannot bring it permanently.

"They have already announced to enact it once (they) come to power again. In the Lok Sabha polls, BJP will again rake up the CAB issue. So, the people of Assam should take a pledge to defeat BJP. It should be considered as a duty and responsibility of all the people," he added.

Gogoi opined that giving votes to BJP in 2016 Assembly polls was a mistake by Assamese people and this struggle proved that communal fascism was always an enemy of Assam, which has a diverse culture with presence of different tribes and communities of the state.

Talking about future course of action, Gogoi said: "We will approach the Supreme Court against Passport (entry into India) Amendment Rules, 2015 and Foreigners (Amendment) Order, 2015."

"The drafting of the petition is going on by Prashant Bhushan. Because of these two documents, we are not able to detect and deport Hindu Bangladeshis who came after 1971," he added.

Thanking all sections of people for opposing the bill, the KMSS leader compared the agitation against the Centre with the anti-grouping movement during the Independence.

"The British force was shaken by the united struggle of the entire northeast. After Independence, this is the biggest movement, even bigger than Assam Agitation, as it shook the Indian state. We showed only black flags to Modi. If he brings in ordinance, he will be completely barred from entering Assam," he said.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is set to lapse on June 3, when the term of the present Lok Sabha ends as it could not be tabled and passed in Rajya Sabha which adjourned sine die on Wednesday.

Massive protests broke out across Assam and other parts of northeast after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced in Silchar on January 4 that the controversial document would be passed as soon as possible in Parliament.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to provide Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India even if they do not possess any document.