The Indigenous Tribal Sahitya Sabhas, Assam, a forum of eight literary bodies representing different communities of the state, on Thursday asked Assam BJP spokesperson Rupam Goswami to prove his claim that the Rabhas and the Bodos have entered Assam from Bangladesh.

In a statement released to the media, the forum said Goswami had made the remark in a news conference here on October 30.

“While the Centre and the state government are trying their best to confer citizenship to lakhs of Bangladeshis, people like Goswami are making such insulting comments against the sons of the soil,” the statement, signed by the forum’s general secretary Kamalakanta Mushahary and general secretary of the All Rabha Sahitya Sabha, Rajkumar Rabha, said.

Goswami had mentioned about the two communities while supporting the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

He opposed the claim that 1.5 crore Hindu Bangladeshis will get Indian citizenship if the bill is passed in Parliament.

The forum comprises the literary bodies of Bodo, Rabha, Karbi, Mising, Tiwa, Deori, Garo and Dimasa communities.

“Goswami should establish his claim within 48 hours with supportive documents that the Bodos and the Rabhas entered Assam from Bangladesh. Otherwise, he should be ousted from the BJP,” said the statement.

“At the news conference, I said the Bodos and the Rabhas might have come to Assam from Bangladesh. I did not say definitely that they have come,” Goswami said.