Assam: AASU's Absence at Clause 6 Report Submission Raises Eyebrows

Guwahati, February 25, 2020:

All Assam Students' Union's three leaders, Samujjal Bhattacharya (chief advisory), Lurinjyoti Gogoi (General Secretary), and Dipanka Nath (President), who are part of the committee formed to make recommendations to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord were conspicuous by their absence at the ceremony organized today to hand over the report to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

All Assam Students' Union President Dipanka Nath, talking to Inside Northeast, said that the student body's leaders have decided not to visit the CM's residence to hand over the report prepared the panel due to their stand against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. "Look, we are totally opposed to the CAA and the movement is still going on. Thus, in such an atmosphere of protest, we do not deem it fit to receive the CM's residence to hand over the report."

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Meanwhile, the committee set up by the Government of India for recommending measures to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord has arrived at the Chief Minister's residence in Guwahati to hand over their

Justice (Retd) Biplap Sarma, the Chairman of the committee, indicated the AASU's absence from the ceremony was probably because of their anti-CAA stance.  "They have a stand against the CAA, that could be the reason they are missing. Or maybe they have some other reasons to be absent. I am not going to comment on the situation", Sarma told mediapersons.

Meanwhile, AASU's Chief Adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya, casting doubts on the Government's eagerness to receive the recommendation, said that the Centre has been lacking an initiative to receive the panel's recommendations. Bhattacharya also said that the Union Ministry should have received the report from the panel. "The report was prepared ahead of schedule, but the Union Ministry has not come to receive it" Bhattacharya rued.

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