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GUWAHATI, Feb 10 – Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said that the demand of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) for DNA test to establish linkages for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is an impracticable demand.

Addressing mediapersons today, Gogoi said that such a demand by the AASU would only slow down the process of updating the NRC and the problem would never be solved. He reiterated that 1971 should be the cut off year for updating the NRC and pointed out that in the Assam Accord also, 1971 is the cut off year for detection and deportation of foreigners.

The Chief Minister asserted that he was not craving for the votes of the foreigners. “I do not need a single vote of foreigners,” he said. He claimed that he was interested in permanent solution of the problem of infiltration and also advocated the need for issuing identity cards to Indian citizens.

On the issue of talks with militants, Gogoi said that apart from the demand for sovereignty, the Government is ready to talk on any issue. He said that a congenial atmosphere should be created for talks but did not specify whether the Government would be ready to release the jailed ULFA leaders to create a favourable atmosphere for talks. He said that more pressure is being put on the ULFA through Myanmar. He also asserted that the overall law and order situation in Assam improved considerably and even Union Home Minister P Chidambaram admitted the fact.

The Chief Minister further admitted that the performance of the ONGC in Assam was not satisfactory and that is why he took up the matter with the Government of India, following which, the Centre decided to form a subsidiary company.