Guwahati, April 4: The Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind will convene a conference here to mobilise public opinion against "efforts by certain forces to divide the people of the state on communal lines".

Jamiat's national president Maulana Syed Arshad Madani will address the National Integration Conference at Pragjyoti ITA Machkhowa on Friday.

State Jamiat organising secretary Maulana Kalim Uddin said certain forces are trying to create a divide in the state by targeting the age-old communal harmony in Assam, which is considered the land of Sankar-Ajan, and it is a matter of serious concern.

"The conference is an attempt to bring together people with progressive thinking from diverse backgrounds to check growing communalism in the state," he said.

Intellectuals Hiren Gohain, Udayaditya Bharali, Abdul Mannan, Adip Phukan and Manjit Mahanta, among others, have been invited to the conference.

Kalim Uddin said the conference will adopt a resolution demanding detection and deportation of illegal migrants from the state on the basis of Assam Accord irrespective of their religion.

"Under no circumstance we will accept deportation of illegal migrants on the basis of their religion," he said, referring to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which seeks to grant Indian citizenship to Hindu migrants from Bangladesh.

He said among other issues to be discussed at the conference are eviction drives carried out in the state allegedly on communal lines, D (doubtful) voters and the prevalent atmosphere of "intolerance".

"Most of the people evicted by the state government are genuine Indian citizens who were forced to settle on forest and government lands after being left homeless by floods and erosion. We demand rehabilitation of these people," Kalim Uddin said.

There had been allegations that the BJP-led state government is conducting eviction drives on communal lines, spreading rumours that the settlers are illegal migrants from Bangladesh and therefore had to be evicted immediately.