Assam Accord will win if BJP-AGP tieup tastes defeat: Congress leader Harish Rawat

Guwahati: The AICC in-charge of Assam and veteran Congress leader Harish Rawat here on Thursday said that defeating BJP-AGP alliance means victory for the Assam Accord, an agreement signed in 1985 between the Centre, state government and leaders of the anti-foreigner movement to free the state from non-nationals.

In an obvious attempt to associate the party with Anti-Citizenship Amendment Bill movement and consolidate the sentiment of people who opposed the bill, the former Uttarakhand chief minister Rawat reminded that the BJP was still firm on bring the Bill once again if voted to power, which is against the spirit of the Assam Accord.

“The passage to the bill amounts to nullifying the Assam Accord. The Bill is also going to defeat the very purpose of updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC),” Mr Rawat said.

The Accord, signed in August 15, 1985, is the culmination of a six-year-long anti-foreigner movement in the 1980s,  and it stipulates March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date for detection and deportation of non-nationals in the state. The Accord was signed in presence of the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The bill seeks to grant citizenship to religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who have settled in India till December 31, 2014, due to persecution in their countries of origin.

He asserted that the Con gress feels proud to be the part of the process of signing the historical Assam Accord.