'Congress anti-CAA stance is unanimous'

GUWAHATI: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) media cell chairperson Bobbeeta Sharma today clarified her party's stance on the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 as "unanimous" and hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for spreading "canards".

The BJP had recently said the Congress was "confused" regarding CAA. BJP spokesperson Pabitra Margherita had recently said: "Congress needs to understand first what they want for themselves. The Congress opposes CAA in the Brahmaputra Valley, but supports it in the Barak Valley."

Asked about it by InsideNE, Sharma said, "Our party follows only Assam Accord and opposes CAA. Be it in Brahmaputra or Barak Valley. Rest are just misleading canards spread by vested interests."

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Sharma further claimed: "It's also wrong to assume that the Bengalis want CAA. When we collected signatures on gamochas in Sivasagar as part of our anti-CAA movement, many from the Bengali community signed there as well who have been living there for a long time."

"Nobody wants Bangladeshis to be imposed upon us. The year 1971 is the cutoff year, but they (BJP) are giving a red carpet welcome to Bangladeshi immigrants by extending the cutoff year till 2014. Why was it necessary?" Sharma added, speaking on the sidelines of Congress youth cell’s new campaign ‘CAA Nohoi, Sakori Lage (We do not need CAA, we need jobs)’ that was launched today along with ‘Congressor 5 guarantee’ campaign ahead of Assam assembly elections 2021 to reach out to the youths of Assam.

CAA is one of the major issues that has the potential to influence a huge portion of voters in the Assam Election 2021. While Assam state BJP denied going against their high command over the issue, Assam state Congress formed a grand alliance with parties opposed to the Act.