New Delhi, March 13 The BJP on Friday alleged that attempts by Bangladeshi infiltrators to "seize" the rights of tribal communities have led to unrest in parts of Meghalaya and vowed to support the indigenous communities of Garo Hills in the state.
Two people were killed in police firing at Chibinang in West Garo Hills on Tuesday morning during clashes that erupted amid protests by sections of the Garo community against alleged attempts by non-Garo candidates to file nominations for the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) election.
Several incidents of arson, assault on civilians, and large gatherings were reported in Tura and other locations across the region, prompting authorities to impose curfew and deploy the Army to prevent further escalation.
Following the violence, the state government postponed the GHADC elections, which were scheduled for April 10.
Curfew was partially relaxed in the two unrest-affected districts of Meghalaya on Friday to allow people to purchase essential commodities, officials said.
Addressing a press conference here, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "The primary cause of this tension is the infiltration of Bangladeshis into the local tribal community, and their attempts to contest the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) election."
The BJP condemned the "conspiracy" by non-tribal illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to seize the rights of the tribal community in Garo Hills, the former Union minister said.
He said that the GHADC is an autonomous body, and its administration is vested "solely in local tribal members who possess a certificate of eligibility to contest elections".
"However, the infiltrators have adopted a new strategy, taking cue from West Bengal and Jharkhand. They marry local tribal women, only to divorce and separate from them later. Then, armed with fraudulent certificates, they come forward to contest elections," he alleged.
"The filing of nomination papers by Ismatur Mominin, a former MLA from Phulbari who is now a member of the TMC, for the GHADC election is the latest example," he added.
Prasad said the BJP vehemently condemns such attacks on the rights of tribals. "The BJP stands firmly with the tribal communities of Garo Hills and will oppose every attempt to deprive them of their rights."
The BJP MP alleged that the increasing presence of illegal infiltrators in Garo Hills is "altering" the demography of the region, "directly affecting the rights of local tribals, including their land, political rights, and representation".
"The BJP outrightly condemns the conversion, misuse, and exploitation of the rights of the tribals in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya," he added.