Guwahati: Rakibul Hussain, Lok Sabha MP, today launched a blistering broadside against the state government, alleging a systematic sidelining of the landmark 1985 Assam Accord. Speaking at a press conference held at Rajiv Bhawan here, Hussain accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of deliberately undermining the historic agreement, which enshrined March 31, 1971, as the definitive cut-off date for determining citizenship in Assam. This alleged abandonment, the MP contended, has effectively rendered the entire National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise “meaningless.”
Hussain’s accusations strike at the very core of Assam’s deeply sensitive political landscape. The Assam Accord, forged after a protracted anti-foreigner agitation, has served as the foundational bedrock for the state’s approach to immigration and citizenship for almost four decades. The MP’s claim that the current administration is now sidelining this pivotal document poses a significant challenge to the government’s credibility on matters of citizenship.
The Congress MP further highlighted a stark contradiction in the Chief Minister’s recent pronouncements regarding the NRC. While the Union Home Ministry officially acknowledges the citizenship register, which was meticulously prepared in adherence to the Assam Accord guidelines, the state’s own Chief Minister has been publicly lambasting it for containing what he terms “discrepancies.” “There appears to be a clear conflict between the Chief Minister and the Union Home Ministry regarding the NRC,” Hussain asserted, raising pertinent questions about a potential fundamental breakdown in policy coordination between the state and central authorities.
Beyond the contentious issue of citizenship, Hussain also exposed what he described as the state’s escalating financial crisis. He revealed that Assam now grapples with a staggering debt burden of Rs 1.52 lakh crore. This figure, he pointed out, represents a complete volte-face from the Chief Minister’s earlier stated opposition to securing large loans, underscoring what the MP characterised as glaring policy inconsistencies.
The MP went on to accuse the administration of strategically employing divisive issues like the “foreigner question” as a smokescreen to divert public attention from governance failures and unfulfilled electoral promises. He suggested that certain political figures are “holding the public hostage” by deliberately perpetuating contentious matters rather than prioritising the state’s developmental agenda. While refraining from naming specific individuals who allegedly celebrated the NRC’s initial publication, Hussain stressed that the document’s official recognition by central authorities renders the Chief Minister’s criticism particularly problematic.
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