Narendra Modi has cheated Assam on illegal immigrants issue: Asom Gana Parishad

GUWAHATI: The opposition Asom Gana Parishad today said the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre has cheated Assam by not doing anything to deport illegal Bangladeshi migrants despite promising to so before the Lok Sabha elections this year.

Submitting a memorandum to Assam Governor Janaki Ballabh Patnaik, the AGP said "Modi and BJP have cheated the people of Assam after capturing power."

The AGP said Modi had promised the people of Assam that all illegal Bangladeshi immigrants would have to pack their bags and leave the state and country after May 16, but nothing has been in that direction.

In fact, the AGP lamented, like the Manmohan Singh-led UPA, the Modi government was also engaged in "anti-Assam conspiracy" and doing "vote bank politics".

Talking about the proposal to provide asylum to religious refugees from Bangladesh, the AGP said this would be a destructive step for Assam and it would not be accepted.

The 15-member AGP delegation to the Governor was led by the new party president Atul Bora.

On July 16, the Cabinet of Assam government decided to urge the Centre to frame a policy for granting asylum to persons who had taken refuge in India after fleeing their country on grounds of religious persecution and discrimination.

Following this decision, a series of protests had erupted across the state alleging the step would create an easy access for illegal Bangladeshi migrants to come and settle in Assam.

Earlier, the state government had submitted a memorandum to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on April 20, 2012 urging him that Indian citizens who had to flee due to religious persecution during partition should not be treated as foreigners on humanitarian grounds.