Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 leading rift: Assam Top Cop
GUWAHATI: The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, proposed by the Government of India has given a fresh lease of life to the activities of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA-Independent). The proposed Bill has also led to a new rift between the state’s Assamese- and Bengali-speaking communities, in turn fomenting trouble. This was observed by Special DGP (Special Branch) of the Assam Police, Pallab Bhattacharyya.
Notably, the senior officer further maintained that the recent publication of unverified news reports regarding the death of the chief of the ULFA (I), Paresh Barua, could add to the tension.
“The fault line between Assamese- and Bengali-speakers in the state is a historical one and the proposed Bill has added fuel to it. There was trouble during the language movement of the 1960s and then were some trouble initially during the Assam movement. But then it had subsided. Now again it has come up,” the officer said.
On the other hand, denying media reports of large-scale recruitment by the ULFA (I), the senior officer said, “Since September 1, eight persons have joined the ULFA (I) in Udalguri and Tinsukia districts. Some others have been apprehended. This is the figure we have now.”