GUWAHATI: Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah went all hammers and tongs in Rajya Sabha while speaking on the issue of National Register of Citizens (NRC).
In his speech, Amit Shah quoted from history and said that it was Congress Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who signed the Assam Accord on 14th August 1985 and then declared it in his Independence Day speech from Red Fort, next day.
“After hundreds of Assamese youth gave their lives and when the Congress government could not control the movement they signed the accord. What is the soul of the Assam Accord? NRC is the soul of the Assam Accord,” said Shah.
Amidst the roar, Shah pointed out to the opposition that it was mentioned in the Assam Accord that identification of illegal migrants, separating them from our citizen register and creating a National Citizen Register was the objective.
“The NRC has been done on the orders of the Supreme Court. Everyone is talking about the 40 lakh figure; I want to ask how many are illegal Bangladeshis in this 40 lakh? Whom are you trying to save? Are you trying to save the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants?” asked Shah.
He blamed the Congress party of not having the courage to implement something which was started by their own prime minister.
“This initiative was taken by the Congress Prime Minister. You did not have the courage to implement it. We have the courage so we are doing it,” said Shah.
The BJP president had to stop his address mid-way as opposition members interrupted by coming down to the well of the house and started sloganeering. The house was then adjourned.