Slamming BJP for supporting the decision, AGP leaders said they would go to any extent to protest against the decision. "We believe all illegal foreigners should be treated equally irrespective of religion. The state has taken a lot of burden in this regard. We have already accepted those who had entered the territory before March 25, 1971. We want the governor to intervene and do the needful," AGP president (in-charge) Atul Bora told reporters after meeting the governor with a 15-member team at the Raj Bhawan on Saturday.
The party leadership believes the move would add to the problems of the state which has been grappling with the illegal citizenship issue for years. It was AGP that had started the statewide anti-foreigners movement in 1985.
The Assam Accord, which was signed with the then Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress government in New Delhi after agitating for six years, clearly mentions the party's stand on illegal foreigners. "It's very unfortunate that BJP too has supported it. The saffron party had promised to deport illegal foreigners from the state before the election, but they too have now taken a U-turn," Bora added.
The governor assured the delegation of taking up the matter with President Pranab Mukherjee at the earliest.
There is no census of refugees but rough estimates suggest the figure could be not less than 85 lakh and a majority of them are Bengali-speaking Hindus. There are also Buddhists, Garos, Rajbongshis, Adivasi tribals and Bishnupriya Manipuris. They have settled mostly in Assam due to its close proximity to Bangladesh, West Bengal and Tripura.
AGP will carry out several agitation programmes against the decision of the government in the coming few days. The All Assam Students' Union, the region's biggest students' body, has also been critical of the government's decision.
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