AGP flays the Congress for 'neglect' of security of NE

Guwahati, Jul 31 (UNI) The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the main Opposition party in the state, today alleged neglect of the North East region in matters of national security by the Congress-led governments at the Centre and state.

Addressing mediapersons at the party headquarters here, president Brindabon Goswami claimed that the state and the Centre had not accorded importance to the region that had led to unabated influx from Bangladesh and was posing to be a national security threat now.

Mr Goswami said, ''Irresponsible behaviour of the governments has led to security threat today. We demand stringent measures to check infiltration immediately.'' He said the AGP legislators had pointed to ISI activities and other fundamentalist groups in the state a year-and-half back in the state Assembly.

''It is only after it was found that the terrorists, who were responsible for the blasts at Mumbai, went from Asom that the governments have woken to the problem,'' he added.

Mr Goswami informed that the issue of security of the region in general and Asom in particular assumed utmost significance in yesterday's general body meeting of the party.

He added that the meeting had resolved to create public awareness regarding the issue to ensure safety of the people of the region.

The AGP president, also the leader of Opposition, said the party would press for time-bound issue of identity cards to all genuine citizens of the state and compilation of the National Register of citizens so that real citizens were not harassed in the name of detection of foreigners.

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