Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 28 : The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya expressing their deep concern about identifying illegal immigrants and alleged that Indian Muslims are being harassed in the name of identifying foreigners.
"We express our deep concern and strong protest against the continued harassment of Indian Muslims in Assam under the pretext of identifying and apprehending so-called illegal foreigners. In recent weeks, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of people, especially from the Muslim Community, who have been picked up, interrogated and even arrested on mere suspicion of being illegal immigrants. The actions have often been taken without credible evidence, legal notice, or proper verification of documents. While some of these individuals have later been released after being found to be genuine Indian citizens," said the memorandum submitted by AIUDF.
A delegation of AIUDF, led by its MLAs Rafiqul Islam and Aminul Islam, on Wednesday met Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya at Raj Bhawan in Guwahati and submitted the memorandum.
The AIUDF urged the Assam Governor to intervene in this matter and to take necessary steps to - direct concerned authorities to exercise greater caution and legal diligence in identifying suspected foreigners, ensure that no Indian citizen is wrongfully detained or subjected to intimidation, investigate and hold accountable those responsible for wrongful arrests or misuse of power, establish a transparent and humane procedure with adequate legal aid for verifying citizenship claims, promote awareness among officials and the public to avoid communal profiling and ensure that enforcement measures are free of bias or prejudice.
The AIUDF said in its memorandum that, most of the people of Muslim community living under poverty have to survive with daily wages as labourers, have hardly scope of defending themselves from such atrocities and facing such trauma, indignity and damage to reputation caused to them and their families cannot be undone.
"Such repeated incidents have created an atmosphere of fear and anxiety among large sections of our population, particularly among poor and marginalised Muslims, many of whom lack the resources or literacy to defend themselves against arbitrary action. It is alarming that even individuals possessing valid documentation such as voter ID cards, Aadhaar and land records are being subjected to doubt and harassment. We like to state clearly and unequivocally that the AIUDF does not support illegal immigration. We believe in the sovereignty of the nation and the sanctity of its borders. However, our objection lies in the misuse of authority and targeting of Indian citizens in the name of identifying foreigners. Harassment, arbitrary detention and wrongful accusations not only violate the principles of justice and fairness but also undermine the trust between the people and the administration," AIUDF said in the memorandum.