New Delhi, Mar 13: The BJP on Friday alleged that attempts by Bangladeshi infiltrators to “usurp” rights of tribals has led to an unrest in parts of Meghalaya and vowed to support the indigenous communities of Garo Hills in the state.
Addressing a press conference here, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “The primary cause of this tension is the infiltration of Bangladeshis into the local tribal community, and their attempts to contest Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHACD) election.”
The BJP condemns the “conspiracy” by non-tribal illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to usurp the rights of tribal community in the Garo Hills, the former Union minister said.
He said GHADC is an autonomous body and its administration is vested “solely in local tribal members who possess a certificate of eligibility to contest elections”.
“However, the infiltrators have adopted a new strategy, taking cue from West Bengal and Jharkhand. They marry local tribal women, only to divorce and separate from them later. Then armed with fraudulent certificates, they come forward to contest elections,” he alleged.
“Filing of nomination papers by Esmatur Mominin, a former MLA from Phulbari who is now a member of the TMC, for GHADC elections is the latest example,” he added.
Prasad said the BJP vehemently condemns such attacks on the rights of tribals. “The BJP stands firmly with the tribal communities of Garo Hills and will oppose every attempt to deprive them of their rights.”
The BJP MP alleged that increasing presence of illegal infiltrators in Garo Hills is “altering” the demography of the region, “directly affecting the rights of local tribals, including their land, political rights, and representation”.
“The BJP outrightly condemns the conversion, misuse and exploitation of the rights of the tribals in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya,” he added. (PTI)
