BJP’s brazen ‘Bihu gift’ to Assam

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a brazen display ofinsensitivity towards the Assamese people on the eve of their beloved Magh Bihunotified the Citizenship Amendment act last night sending the signal thatsentiment of Assamese people would never have cared.

As behind the scene, activities were in full swing toget the Clause VI committee recommendation by Bihu (January 15), the Union HomeMinister Amit Shah did not care for that and refused to wait any longer andnotified the CAA on Friday late night.

This was not taken kindly. "See the attitude ofthe BJP. They do not have that sensitivity also. The whole of people of Assamare up in arms and they were so arrogant" said Dr Samujjal KrBhattacharyya, AASU adviser vowing to fight it out in the court.

However, the Supreme Court Senior Lawyers UpamanyuHazarika cautioned that much should not be read of January 22 hearing of theCAA at the Supreme Court as the matter would take much longer time and it wouldbe unlikely to get a stay order on that day.

"Generally, a Parliament driven law does not getstayed in the court of law. It will take a much longer time. The IMDT wasscarped after 7-8 years of argument in the court" he said.

But what hurt the sentiments of Assamese people was thecomplete insensitiveness of the Union ministry and the Minister Himself. Mr.Shah is reportedly very angry that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to cancel ascheduled visit to Assam twice within a month, something not seen very often inIndependent India.

The former BJP vice president and top bureaucrat C KDas also decried the Centre's move of notifying the CAA just on the eve ofBihu. "This once again signified how much these people do care about thepeople of Assam".

However, the BJP did not think that they were brazenand arrogant. "The early notification was good and necessary to publishthe rules as they feel that detailed publication of rules would quell the heatin Assam as it would clarify many misgivings about the CAA and its actualeffect in Assam. People are spreading rumours and canards about the CAA, andthe rules would clear everything" said the BJP spokesperson Rupam Goswami.