Citizenship Amendment Bill issue gave 'fresh lease of life' to ULFA: Assam cop

November 11, 2018 18:43

Growing public sentiment against the Centre's move to amend the Citizenship Act has given a "fresh lease of life" to the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom, which has recruited eight youths in the last two months, a senior officer of the Assam Police has said.

Director General (Special Branch) of Assam Police Pallav Bhattacharjee said police foiled ULFA's plan to recruit another batch of eight youths and that a number of men from five districts have gravitated towards the banned organisation.

"Since September 1, eight youths have joined ULFA, and another eight were apprehended in the process of joining it," he told PTI on Sunday.

The 1986-batch IPS officer said strong public sentiment against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Brahmaputra Valley has given a "fresh lease of life" to ULFA, which has been claiming that the bill "threatens the existence of indigenous people" of the state.

Bhattacharjee said a leader of the All Assam Students' Union's Dergaon unit, Pankaj Pratim Dutta, recently joined ULFA which is a very "disturbing" development.

The proposed amendment to the Citizenship Bill, 1955 seeks to grant citizenship to people from minority communities -- Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians -- from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India instead of 12 even if they don't possess any proper document.

A large section of people and organisations in the Northeast have opposed the bill, saying it will nullify the provisions of the Assam Accord of 1985, which fixed March 24, 1971 as the cut off date for deportation of all illegal immigrants irrespective of religion.

The DGP (SB) said police were keeping a strict vigil on ULFA's attempts to lure youths from Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sibsagar, Golaghat and Udalguri districts.

Five Bengali Hindus were killed by suspected ULFA militants in Tinsukia district on November 1.

The BJP MP from Meerut, Rajendra Agrawal, who is the chairman of the Joint Parliament Committee examining the bill, said the panel is likely to submit its report in the Lok Sabha in the Winter Session.

"This will be the last session of the current Lok Sabha. If we don't submit the report, it would mean we have not discharged our duties properly," he told PTI over the phone.

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

Canada arrests 3 Indians in Nijjar's killing, says more people involved

Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of Sikh activist Nijjar, CTV News quoted a senior government source as saying.

Extend all possible support to Revanna's victims: Rahul writes to K'taka CM

In a veiled attack on Modi, Rahul said he has never come across a senior public representative who has constantly chosen silence in the face of untold violence against women.

'Mumbai Indians a very confused team; Hardik looks flattened'

India vice-captain Hardik Pandya looks drained, flattened, under pressure and Mumbai Indians appear like a confused unit under him, reckon former cricketers Aaron Finch and Greame Smith.

INDIA bloc PM will be...: Shashi Tharoor

'The PM who is first among equals, who has to listen to others, take their point of view into account and who would have to be a good manager'

No funding from Cong, Puri LS candidate returns ticket

'I tried a public donation drive to support my campaign for progressive politics without much success so far. I also tried to cut down the projected campaign spending to the minimum'