GUWAHATI, Sept 8: Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia came down heavily on BJP MP from Rajasthan as well as the party’s chief whip in the Rajya Sabha, Narayan Lal Panchariya for tabling a Private Member’s Bill called “The Illegal Immigrants (Identification and Deportation) Bill, 2018” in the recently-concluded session of the Parliament.

“This was nothing but a ploy to enact the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in another guise,” Saikia said in a statement here Saturday.

“This is a poorly-disguised attempt to nullify the provisions of the Assam Accord,” he said.

“Panchariya should not play the Devil’s advocate in matters beyond his grasp,” Saikia further said.

Panchariya has moved the Bill as a result of the fierce opposition evinced in Assam to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Saikia said. “Since the Citizenship Bill is being roundly decried as an instrument to protect a section of illegal migrants on the basis of their religion, Panchariya is now trying to sugar-coat the BJP’s divisive agenda with provisions like creation of national and state commissions to control the process of identifying and deporting illegal migrants and confiscation of their property,” he said.

“The nefarious motive behind the Bill tabled by Panchariya is exposed by Section 10, which states that the Centre may, if it considers so in national interest, exempt any illegal immigrant or any class of illegal immigrants from deportation or any other provisions of this Act,” he pointed out.

“The attempt to vest the Centre with this sort of discretionary power in matters of citizenship, especially at a time when Assam stands ravaged by the problem of illegal migrants, is against the letter and spirit of the Constitution,” Saikia further said.

He also said Section 14 of the Bill is similarly loaded with anti-Assam intent, as can be gauged from the proposal that “the Provisions of this Act shall have effect notwithstanding anything inconsistent therewith contained in any other law for the time being in force.”

News Source The Hill Times