Sonowal to accept Clause VI report on Feb 25

After receiving all-round flak over the humiliation meted out to the Clause VI committee report, Assam Government has been asked by Home Ministry to accept the report and accordingly Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will accept the report ceremonially on February 25.

This was confirmed by Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma as well as Chairman of the committee Biplab Sharma.

Earlier the committee found no takers of the Clause VIcommittee report as the MHA refused to accept it and it had to be left with theAssam Accord Implementation Department, which triggered major sentiment acrossthe state.

The MHA is uneasy over the content of the report which has chosen 1951 as the cut off year for declaring indigenous and also talked of ILP. Both are a sensitive issue and that was why Member Secretary of the Committee Mr Satyendra Garg, who is also the Joint Secretary in Charge of North East in MHA.

The latest development came as Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal apprised the Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the strong resentment that swept the people of Assam at the MHA's reluctance to accept the report. 

The Home Minister reportedly asked Chief Minister to accept the report on his behalf. The Union Home Ministry is unlikely to accept the recommendation of the report which said that all those citizens living in Assam as on 1951 would be considered "Axomiya" for all constitutional safeguards.