New Delhi, Feb 22 (UNI) Amid controversy over its Chief General Bipin Rawat’s comment about rise of Assam-based political party AIUDF due to influx of people from Bangladesh, the Army on Thursday maintained there is ``nothing political or religious' in what its Chief had said.
Pointing to the need to identify the factors responsible for the demographic changes in the North Eastern India, Gen Rawat had cited two reasons for illegal migration from Bangladesh – lack of space mainly in monsoon in Bangladesh and Pakistan's proxy war with help of China to fuel illegal influx of settlers.
On rise on AIUDF, the Army chief had said, “There is a party called AIUDF. If you look at it, they have grown in a faster time-frame than the BJP grew over the years." The AIUDF, formed in 2005, has three members in parliament and 13 legislators in the Assam assembly.
Earlier, AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal reacted to the Army Chief's comments on his party and tweeted, "General Bipin Rawat has made a political statement, shocking! Why is it a concern for the army chief that a political party, based on democratic and secular values, is rising faster than BJP? Alternative parties like AIUDF, AAP have grown because of the misgovernance of big parties."
UNI ASH/ VT 1905