Let Modi-Shah seek votes in Assam on CAA promise: Congress

Congress challenged Shah a day after a day after the latter promised in West Bengal that the CAA would be implemented in West Bengal as soon as BJP forms its govt

Congress on Monday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah to seek votes in Assam with the promise to implement the CAA as it did in its manifesto in West Bengal.

"Let the Prime Minister and home minister promise in Assam that they would implement the CAA in the first cabinet meeting of the new government as they have promised in West Bengal. I challenge the PM and home minister to do so. The CAA is a divisive piece of legislation and is a threat to identity and culture of the Assamese people and this is the reason why Assam witnessed strong protest against this amendment," Congress leader Randip Surjewala told reporters in Guwahati, a day after Amit Shah promised in West Bengal that the CAA would be implemented as soon as BJP forms its government in the state.

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"People of Assam wants that the CAA should be scrapped as it is against the Assam Accord of 1985, which promised to detect foreigners with March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date. Migrants can apply for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Act irrespective of religion but the CAA is divisive as it seeks to give citizenship to non-Muslim migrants till 2014," another Congress leader said.

"So we are giving a guarantee to the people of Assam that the Congress would scrap the CAA if elected back to power in Assam," Surjewala said.

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Parts of Assam witnessed violent protest against the CAA in December 2019 as indigenous people fear that the CAA would reduce them into minorities by giving citizenship to a large number of post-1971 Bengali Hindu migrants from Bangladesh and threaten their ethnic identity. Five people died in police firing and life remained paralysed for more than a week.

Before the 2016 Assembly polls, BJP had strongly talked in favour of the CAA, particularly in areas dominated by Hindu Bengalis but this time the top leaders of the party including Modi and Shah have remained silent on the CAA and NRC.

BJP leader in Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that the CAA is no longer a concern and people are happy with the development work of the BJP-led government in the past five years. Sarma said CAA was not a threat and the real threat was posed by Badruddin Ajmal, who represents the "Miyas" (Bengali speaking Muslims).

Amit Shah jab:

Campaigning for Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Majuli constituency in eastern Assam, home minister Amit Shah said Congress can not stop infiltration with Badruddin Ajmal on board and only BJP can do so. "Can Congress party stop infiltration with Badruddin Ajmal on its lap?"

Read | Congress just like elephant, has two sets of teeth: J P Nadda

Ajmal's party, All India United Democratic Front is part of the "grand alliance" of seven opposition parties led by Congress.