Congress trying to re-open citizenship controversy: Assam CM

Accusing that his government was trying to resolve the citizenship issues of Hindu Bengalis in the state, Mr. Sarma told reporters, “We are trying to resolve the Bangladeshi tag of Hindu Bengalis but Congress party was trying to politicise the issue by raising the issue once again they are trying to subject Hindu Bengalis of the state under fresh harassments.”

Assam Congress accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of fielding a “Bangladeshi” as the candidate for Dholai, one of the five Assembly constituencies in the State where by-polls will be held on November 13.

Mr Sarma brushed off the allegation against the candidate, Nihar Ranjan Das, while stating that he is born and brought up in Assam but by raking up this issue, the Congress party was trying to put Hindu Bengalis in trouble. “If this issue surfaces once again there will be no problem for Mr Das but many innocent Hindu Bengalis may get notices of their citizenship and common Hindu Bengalis may face harassment. We are trying to resolve this controversy one by one.”

It is significant that during the party’s campaign on Sunday, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhupen Kumar Borah said that the BJP was trying to set a precedent by fielding a candidate with doubtful citizenship.

“The allegation against the BJP candidate was made at a public forum by Amiya Kanti Das, who is close to chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma,” Mr. Borah said, asking the chief minister to come clean on the Dholai candidate’s status.

Amiya Kanti Das withdrew his candidature from the Dholai seat after filing his papers as an Independent candidate.

The BJP candidate said that he has not been losing sleep over the “lies” the Congress has been spreading. “The outpouring of support for me has made the Congress jittery. The allegation is best ignored,” he said.

The Dholai unit of the BJP said that their candidate studied and taught at the Irongmara School near southern Assam’s Silchar town.

Eight candidates are vying for the Dholai seat, which was vacated by former transport minister Parimal Suklabaidya after he became the MP from Silchar. Among the BJP candidate’s rivals are Dhrubajyoti Purkayastha of Congress and Gour Chandra Das of the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist).

While Congress is contesting all five seats going to the by-polls, the BJP is contesting three. The latter’s regional allies – Asom Gana Parishad and United People’s Party Liberal – are contesting a seat each.