AGP opposes Photo I-cards sans NRC

Staff Reporter GUWAHATI, Jan 21 – Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) today opposed any move to issue photo-identity cards to the citizens without completing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) updating process. The AGP executive committee in its meeting held at the Ambari headquarters of the party, observed that the bids to issue photo-identity cards to the citizens without completing the NRC updating process was contrary to a verdict of the Supreme Court.It alleged that the Congress has been keeping the issue of foreign nationals alive for sake of keeping its (Congress) vote bank intact. Resenting the recent comment of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi that there are more foreign nationals in other parts of the country compared to Assam, the AGP executive committee said in a resolution that future of Assam was not safe in the hands of such a Chief Minister who wants to belittle the State’s foreigners’ issue.It described the failure of both the State and Central Governments to complete the NRC updating process within 2008 as per their assurances, as a deceit on the people and made an appeal to the people to register their protest against the lethargy of the Governments in this connection. The AGP executive committee in a resolution, demanded firm steps from the Central Government to seal the Indo-Bangla border in eastern and North East part of the country in line with the steps taken to seal the western border of the country with Pakistan.Criticising the silence of the State Government on the issue of determining the state’s borders with its neighbouring states, the meeting called for firm steps to ensure the security of the life and property of the people living in the border areas. Describing the delay in solving the insurgency problem as a product of the lack of political will of the Tarun Gogoi led Government, the meeting , which was also attended by former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and several other former Ministers, called for steps to resolve the issue through negotiations with the militant groups instead of effecting splits within these organizations. The party demanded steps to redress the grievances of the six ethnic groups, which have been demanding ST status. It resented the local tax imposed on the petroleum products by the State Government, which has added to the burdens of the people. It also ridiculed the decision of the Congress to make development a plank in the next Lok Sabha elections. The meeting formed four committees to look into the Lok Sabha elections preparations including one to prepare a charge sheet against the Congress Government. SOURCE: ASSAM TRIBUNE