GUWAHATI: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal (BD) on Tuesday demanded the state government form a special force to deal with the illegal immigrant problem in the state.

"The Assam government should form a special force to detect and deport illegal Bangladeshis' present in the state," said Subhas Chauhan, national coordinator of BD, at a press conference here. Abhijit Deka and Narayan Ranjan Baruah, president and spokesperson of the North East Chapter of VHP respectively, were also present at the conference.

The two parties opposed the postponement of the pilot project updating the NRC in Barpeta and Chaygaon revenue circles after violence in lower Assam's Barpeta district on July 21. Four people were killed and over 50 injured when police opened fire at a rally organised by All Assam Minorities' Students' Union (Aamsu) after it got violent.

VHP and BD said since the task of preparing the NRC is a Central project, the state government does not have any right to take a unilateral decision to postpone or halt it. "Preparing the NRC is a project of the Centre. How can the state government stop it?" said Chauhan. He appealed that the state government and the Centre resume the updating process without delay.

Contrary to the agreements of the Assam Accord, the two parties said only those immigrants who entered Assam (from Bangladesh) before 1951 will have a right to stay in the country. According to the accord, anybody who entered Assam before 1971 would be recognized as a citizen of the country.

In 1985, the Assam Accord was signed between the state government, the Centre and the All Assam Students' Union (Aasu), ending a six-year-long agitation (Assam Movement) led by Aasu. Chauhan said that VHP and BD will create public opinion across the country regarding the issue of updating the NRC.

"A public opinion will be created on the issue across the country and we will communicate the matter to the Centre," Chauhan said.

He added that illegal Bangladeshis' have changed the demographic profile of the state and this, in turn, is influencing the political scenario here.