In what is being seen as an attempt to woo Hindu Bengali voters ahead of the Assembly elections, chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Tuesday adopted the line of BJP and announced that the ruling Congress party would seek refugee status for the displaced Hindu Bengalis, who fled East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, fearing prosecution.
In what has surprised the Congress think-tank, Mr Gogoi also confessed that his party was wrong all these years by not favouring refugee status for Hindu Bengalis. “I have felt the necessity of amending our stand today. I assure that the party will take up this issue with the Central government soon after the elections,” said the chief minister “People who fled East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) fearing for their lives and took shelter in India should be given refugee status,” Mr Gogoi said, addressing a press conference.
The CM asserted that the party would also include it in its election manifesto. When asked if it was a move to appease voters, Mr Gogoi, evaded a direct reply saying, “We have realised that our earlier stand was wrong and hence, decided to rectify an old mistake and now seek refugee status for the persecuted lot.” The CM also exuded confidence on the Congress returning to power for the third straight term.