No genuine Indian will be harassed: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi

NEW DELHI: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has said that no genuine Indian citizen will be harassed in the name of being a foreigner and accused the BJP and the state's main Opposition AUDF of trying to divide the society.

"We are not protecting foreigners. But we will not allow anyone to describe any genuine Indian citizen as foreigner. We will not allow harassment of any Indian citizen," he said.

Gogoi's statement bears significance in view of the growing demands in many parts of Assam for deportation of illegal immigrants living in the state.

The chief minister accused the BJP and the AUDF, led by perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal, of trying to divide the society in the name of religion saying both the parties were taking advantage of the recent clashes between the Bodos and Muslim migrants.

"We will not allow them to succeed," he said. According to Gogoi, of the five lakh people displaced in the recent clashes, three lakh have returned home and the remaining will also be rehabilitated "once their identities are established and land records verified".

He said the key reason for the high growth of population among various communities was illiteracy and it has nothing to do with any religion.

"Low literacy is the reason for high birth rate. It is happening everywhere," he said.