Calling out Congress’ hypocrisy over Citizenship Amendment Bill

Have you heard of institutional sanctimony? The Congress party excels in its exhibition. The North East is currently facing mass protests against the Citizenship Amendment Bill. The Congress supports these protests and has taken a strong stand against the bill. However, the people are fully aware of the morally hypocritical positions, the party takes to turn political winds in its favor. Of late, these tricks are not quite working as they used to before. Nevertheless, that hasn’t prevented them from being absolute hypocrites. In 2012, the Congress government in Assam had vociferously advocated for the persecuted Hindus and other Indic communities of Bangladesh, saying they deserve Indian Citizenship. This article is aimed at reminding them of their stand just seven years ago. 

It was in the year 2012 that the then Assam CM, Tarun Gogoi had submitted a memorandum to PM Manmohan Singh, strongly supporting growing demands to grant Indian Citizenship to persecuted minorities of Bangladesh. He pleaded the then PM to not treat persecuted minorities as ‘foreigners’, but rather grant them Indian Citizenship. Further, in 2015, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President, at an executive meeting was quoted as saying, “We will take up the unresolved issue of citizenship for the Bengali Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and people of other minority communities who came to Assam after being subjected to inhuman torture post the partition of India.” He further added, “These people were citizens of undivided India and they were forced to flee their own homes for saving their lives after being subjected to atrocities on the grounds of religion. The APCC urges the Centre to grant citizenship to all such people, taking into consideration historical reality and the humanitarian aspect.” Why have the same leaders taken a 180° turn today? Only because the BJP is now doing what the Congress had merely dreamt of? That there is a potential threat to the Congress’ ‘to-be’ voter base?  

The BJP has always had a consistent position on the Bangladeshi Hindus and with the demand of granting them Indian citizenship. Even today, when there is a massive backlash, the BJP remains firm. Of course, I am not contesting the fact that the Citizenship bill in its present form may prove to be detrimental to the interests of the indigenous communities of North East, but there is always scope for rectification. Also, both the Prime Minister and Home Minister have repeatedly stated that the identities and culture of Northeast will not be compromised. However, what is to be said of the Congress party, which has time and again shifted the goal post only to suit its political whims? How can they point fingers at the BJP for something which they aggressively supported just four years ago?  

In the digital world, nothing remains hidden. The same has happened today. When a twitter handle, ‘Voice of Assam’ revealed these facts, Tarun Gogoi and other leaders of the Congress and the current opposition immediately blocked it.

Isn’t this an admission of guilt on their part? The Congress has many questions to answer, the most important being, why can’t they have a consistent position on any given issue for once? The media did not turn outrageous at that given point of time. The thing with the Congress is, exposing them alone, exposes their entire conspicuous ecosystem. The inherently biased media is somewhat shaping the narrative totally against the bill and this is something which I fail to comprehend. Why are they only harping on the Bangladeshis? Is it not true that Hindus, Sikhs, and other minorities are abject victims of a tyrannical regime in Pakistan too, and of a terror-struck state in Afghanistan? Moreover, how can we forget that the very same people who are writing editorials and debating on national television against the Citizenship Bill, were actually the only people who supported the ‘hapless, helpless’ Rohingya narrative? Why is the Congress and it’s loyalists in the media not speaking of helping the actually persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists? Also, bringing in Hindutva into the picture is the best that this lethargic lobby can do. The Congress and media should be ashamed of themselves for pretending to stand with the people of North East when all that they are doing is trying to hurt the unstoppable growth of the BJP in the region. Believe me, it all trickles down to defeating Narendra Modi, by hook or by crook. Even if that requires lying through the teeth and putting up a pretentious mask of support for the people.