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Congress will tackle ISI activities in N-E, says Mukherjee

AICC general secretary Pranab Mukherjee today said the Congress was concerned over growing ISI activities and unabated influx of people from neighbouring countries into the north-east and other parts of India.

Mukherjee, who was on a four-day election campaign to Assam, said if his party was voted to power it would take up these issues with the neighbours. ''Both issues were important and it should be taken up with the countries to prevent surplus people from entering our country,'' he said.

Speaking to mediapersons before leaving for New Delhi, he alleged that the BJP government had failed to tackle insurgency. Different strategies should be adopted to tackle the problem in various parts of the country, he observed.

To a question, Mukherjee said their fight in the coming elections in Assam would be mainly with the BJP in some constituencies. During his visit, he had toured the Lok Sabha constituencies of Guwahati, Barpeta, Nagaon and Koliabor. Assam has 14 seats. In the last election the Congress had secured ten seats on its own and one candidate supported by it was elected, he said.

He claimed the Congress would secure over fifty per cent seats in the 268 constituencies where votes have been cast. Mukherjee said that he would visit the state again to campaign in Barak valley and some seats in Brahmaputra valley, and the AICC president would also visit the state.

He maintained that the BJP would not be in a position to amend the Constitution to debar persons of foreign origin from holding the country's highest post. ''To amend the Constitution at least two-thirds majority is needed in both houses which is not possible for the BJP,'' he added.

UNI

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