The Assam police’s border wing has since mid-April rounded up about 130 “declared foreigners” who were absconding. But organisations primarily representing Bengali Hindus — believed to the BJP’s vote bank in Assam — have not taken kindly to the “targeted drive”. “These poor Hindu Bengali citizens have been arrested on the basis of ex-parte judgments despite having enough citizenship proof,” said Kamal Choudhury, president, All Assam Bengali Youth Students’ Federation. Utpal Dey, vice-president, All Assam Bengali Suraksha Samiti, said: “There is a plan to destroy Bengalis, whether Muslim or Hindu. We are under pressure from the Supreme Court almost every day to take action regarding the declared foreigners,” an adviser to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said.

Source: The Hindu May 10, 2019 20:15 UTC