Vajpayee Government asked states to build detention centres: Tarun Gogoi

The topic of detention centres and the Citizenship Amendment Act is being widely debated across the country. India's top political parties BJP and Congress are accusing each other of spreading lies about detention centres being constructed. Former Assam Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Tarun Gogoi on Friday said that the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government had instructed all the state governments in 1998 to construct detention camps for foreigners.

"When Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister, he had instructed all the governments in 1998 to have a detention camp for keeping foreigners who completed their terms of imprisonment in jail. He had instructed all the state governments to construct such a detention camp. Who is the master liar? When so many detention camps through the country including Assam, Karnataka even his [Prime Minister Narendra Modi] own government-sanctioned about Rs 46 crore to construct another detention camp at Matia [in Assam's Goalpara district], then who is the liar.

Sent them [Bangladeshi immigrants] to their original home, while Bangladesh government has agreed to accept them. Why is there a need for these detention camps, granting citizenship, giving shelter? According to him, there has been no persecution of the minorities in Bangladesh. So, there is no need for the Citizenship Amendment Act. The entire situation will become normal if you do it," Tarun Gogoi said.

The senior Congress leader also questioned that when Bangladesh has agreed to take all the immigrants, Hindus and Muslims, then what is need to give citizenship to Hindus.