Dispur: Former Assam CM Prafulla Kumar Mahanta on Sunday said he does not support the inner-line permit in the state.
His statement comes after several organizations in the state resumed to demanding ILP to get rid of the ‘ill effects’ of CAA after Centre recently implemented ILP on Manipur.
“I don’t support the ILP. It has many negative implications. You have to consider everything. You just can’t bring it (ILP),” said Mahanta answering question to why the ILP was not implemented during his tenure as CM.
Inner-line permit(ILP)
ILP is a travel-permit issued by Centre allowing an Indian inward travel into protected regions like for a limited period of time.
Currently, the states were ILP is permitted are Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland (except Dimapur) and Manipur.
India lost its reputation globally for its stance on CAA despite mass protests in the nation.
“People staged protests in front of the Indian embassy in the UK. Even the United Nations had to warn the Centre. Still the government is not ashamed of its deeds,” he added.
BJP’s ploy
Mahanta termed this move as “a ploy to help the BJP win next year’s Assembly elections by removing the Muslim-majority areas”.
Muslim Majority Areas
“There’s no point in re-organising these. The number has to be increased. The BJP wants to win so they will remove the Muslim-majority areas and adjust with other constituencies. This can only help some political parties win,” said Mahanta who is also a founder president Asom Gana Parishad- an ally of the BJP.
Assam Finance Minister responding on Centre’s move to deliminate said: “There is no need to increase the number of constituencies but delimitation should be done in such a manner so that the political rights of the indigenous people are protected.”