STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The All Assam Gorkha Students' Union (AAGSU) has alleged that the Central government is treating Gorkhas as Bangladeshis.
Addressing the media here on Monday, AAGSU president Arjun Chetry said, "Around 1 lakh Gorkhas have been treated as ineligible for entry into the NRC (National Register of Citizens). On March 16, 2021 while replying to a query from MP Gaurav Gogoi in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai informed the House that 'Any person not satisfied with the outcome of the decisions of claims and objections leading to publication of final NRC may prefer and appeal before the Foreingers Tribunal constituted under the Foreingers (Tribunal) Order, 1964 within a period of 120 days from the date of such order. The disposal of appeal by the Tribunals the names shall be included or deleted, as the case may be, in the NRC. The State Government was requested on September 24, 2018 to direct all concerned that only those Gorkhas who have come from Bangladesh and are living in the State of Assam can be treated as from the 'specified territory' in accordance with Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955."
Arjun Chetry demands that the problem of Gorkha 'D voters' will have to be solved through government procedure without making them go through the FTs. "We also demand the BJP-led Central government to take all measures that not a single name of Indian Gorkha is dropped from the NRC in Assam. We make it clear that not a single Gorkha will go to the FTs. If the authorities make the Gorkhas go to the FTs, we'll resort to a vigorous agitation," he said.
Arjun also said that the political parties should also pledge to solve the problems of Indian Gorkhas or else they would have to face the music.
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