BJP, Cong spar over Assam migrant issue

With the Assam elections approaching, Congress and BJP have begun sparring over the issue of illegal migration from across the Bangladesh border into the state and made it clear that the issue will snowball into a major issue.

As the BJP petitioned the Election Commission on Monday seeking deletion of names of the Bangladeshi infiltrators, Congress accused its rival of ‘communalizing’ the issue of migration.

A BJP delegation submitted a memorandum to Chief Election Commissioner S Y Qureshi in this connection and also demanded citizenship for the Hindu refugees from across the border.

"It is a matter of great concern to note that an abnormal increase in the number of voters in the last few decades in Assam," the memorandum said.

For its part, Congress blamed the BJP for ‘communalizing’ the issue of illegal immigration in Assam and challenged the party to come out with specific information if ‘infiltrators’ from across the Bangladesh border had found their way into the state’s electoral rolls.

"If the BJP has concrete evidence about irregularities in the electoral rolls it should make that public," party leader Digvijay Singh told reporters.

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