New Delhi, Oct. 15: Reiterating its opposition to the repeal of the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act, the Congress today made a fervent appeal for its retention and said the issue of infiltration has been blown out of proportion.

The seven-member Congress delegation, in its representation before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on home affairs, cited census figures to reinforce the argument that the demography of Assam has not changed to the extent it has been imagined.

“The delegates pointed out that the 2001 census figures for the state reveals a population growth rate of less than the national average.

“They said that this does not fit into the rumours that have been circulated by vested interests and that the IMDT Act is directly responsible for the entry of foreigners,” sources quoted the representatives as saying.

The team, which was led by MP and PCC president Pawan Singh Ghatowar, included vice-president Anwara Taimur, MP Santosh Mohan Dev, Nur Jamal Sarkar, Nurul Hussain, Ardhendu Dey and Azim Laskar. Senior party leader Salman Khurshid, who was also supposed to have accompanied the team was, however, absent.

The Congress, sources said, maintained that genuine citizens would be harassed if the Act were abolished. “Delegates claimed that the IMDT Act has been a burning issue for a long time and the party’s stand was well known. That it came to power during the last Assembly polls shows that it enjoys the overwhelming support of the Assamese community and that the opposition to the retention of the Act has also been exaggerated.”

As evidence of the acceptance of the controversial Act, delegates said that two amendments were brought about when the AGP was in power between 1985-1990. “The leaders questioned why the AGP, which is now opposed to it, supported and accepted the amendments to the Act, which is supposed to shield foreigners,” sources said.

They added that the delegates also underscored the need for a judicial process in the detection of foreigners, which is the cornerstone of the Act.

With the Congress submitting its opinion on the Act, representations from various organisations and political parties before the committee today drew to a close, which will now be followed by the compilation of a report.

What was most apparent in the representations was the diverse opinions on the abolition of the Act.

While the BJP, AGP and the AASU argued for its revocation, the ruling Congress and other minority organisations like the AAMSU were opposed to its repeal. Only the CPI maintained a middle path by saying the purpose of detecting foreigners could be made more effective with certain amendments to the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act.