BJP Accuses Opposition of Citizenship Manipulation in Assam

In a heated political debate, the Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused state opposition parties of distorting facts about the central government's recent directive on immigration. The directive permits Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from neighboring nations to remain in India without valid travel documents.

The BJP argues that this move by the Opposition is a strategic attempt to garner support before the upcoming state assembly elections. It denies any extension of the eligibility deadline for Indian citizenship, asserting the directive merely offers temporary relief from travel document requirements, not citizenship.

Opposition parties, however, claim the directive compromises the region's demographics and fear it overrides previous agreements meant to protect Assamese identity. Amidst these political tensions, the citizenship debate continues to stir significant controversy across the state.

(With inputs from agencies.)