Congress accuses BJP of betrayal, warns Assam will not bear additional burden of foreigners

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 4, 2025

The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led government over its decision to extend the cut-off date under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) from December 31, 2014, to December 31, 2024.

At a joint press conference in Rajiv Bhavan, senior Congress leaders branded the move a “conspiracy to destroy Assamese identity” and accused the BJP and its ally AGP of pursuing “anti-national vote bank politics.”

Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia and former Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora alleged that the Centre’s ordinance nullifies the Assam Accord and legitimizes illegal infiltration. “By extending the cut-off, the BJP has turned Assam into a grazing ground for foreigners,” Bora said. He recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2014 promise to expel illegal migrants and charged the government with doing the opposite. “This is a violation of the Constitution, the Supreme Court’s rulings, and the Assam Accord,” he said.

Bora demanded that the Assam government oppose the ordinance and press for the state’s exclusion from its purview. He also criticized the AGP for remaining silent “blinded by the lure of power,” while questioning whether future governments could extend the deadline indefinitely.

Saikia described the September 1 notification as a “second version of CAA,” accusing the BJP of eroding Assamese rights under the guise of “one nation, one policy.” He stressed that while 1951 remains the base year for citizenship nationwide, Assam had 1971 under the Accord. “Today that Accord, signed by Rajiv Gandhi, is being demolished, insulting the Assamese people,” Saikia said.

The Congress leader also accused the BJP of manipulating the Hindu Bangladeshi issue for electoral gains. He cited cases of genuine Indian citizens—including freedom fighter Prafulla Kumar Saha, BSF employee Bandana Das, and centenarian Revati Das—who were sent to detention camps, arguing that BJP’s policies have harassed Assamese citizens while pretending to defend their identity.

Saikia reminded that in May 2018, Congress had appealed to the Prime Minister to exempt Assam from CAA. “In 1958, Nehru had settled refugees outside Assam. Why can’t today’s refugees be rehabilitated elsewhere? Why must Assam alone carry the burden?” he asked. He further alleged that Foreigners’ Tribunals were being pressured to dismiss non-Muslim cases to facilitate citizenship applications.

The Congress leaders also questioned Union Minister Sukanta Das’s recent remarks suggesting citizenship for foreigners entering without passports or visas. “In Delhi, BJP leaders speak against Assamese interests, while in Guwahati they invoke ‘jati, mati, bheti.’ This hypocrisy has endangered Assam,” Saikia said.

Bora and Saikia confirmed that Congress has already challenged CAA in the Supreme Court and asked how the government could issue the new notification when the matter is still sub judice.

The press meet was attended by APCC Media Department Chairman Bedabrat Bora, MLA Rakibuddin Ahmed, Vice-President Mehdi Alam Bora, senior spokesperson Rituparna Konwar, and spokesperson Ritam Singho. The party reiterated its demand to scrap the ordinance in Assam, vowing to continue its legal and political fight to protect Assamese identity and uphold the Assam Accord.