The All Cachar Karimganj Hailakandi Students’ Association founder-president, Pradip Dutta Roy, on Tuesday said Assam might witness a riot if the situation in the state, which is apparently on the boil following an “inflammatory” statement by pro-talks Ulfa leader Mrinal Hazarika over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, does not improve.
Roy told reporters here on Tuesday that the Hazarika’s statement on going back to the days of 1983 to force the Centre to withdraw the citizenship bill had triggered a tumultuous situation in Assam.
“A sense of unease and anger is accumulating because of the incendiary remarks,” he said.
He asked why no action was being taken by the government against Hazarika and reiterated that Barak Valley should be separated from Assam if the government was not able to deal with the issue.
“Breaking away of Barak Valley from Assam is perhaps the only solution for the welfare of all,” he said.
On the National Register of Citizens (NRC) update, Roy said the NRC would be full of errors as a large number of illegal immigrants have managed to enlist their names in the final draft of the NRC published on July 30 this year.
“The names of at least 50 lakh illegal citizens have been included in the final draft,” he claimed and demanded that the update process be redone, if the government really wants to achieve its goal of an error-free NRC.
Sadhan Purkayastha, the state secretary of Amora Bangalee, said Assam would witness a “bloodbath” if measures are not taken to stop Ulfa leaders like Hazarika.
Basudeb Sharma, the president of the All Assam Bengali Hindu Association, said the remark by Hazarika was “the beginning of a maelstrom” in the state.
He also condemned the throwing of a paper ball at singer Shaan at a musical concert in Guwahati recently. “Such an act is absolutely unacceptable,” he said.