The Opposition Congress targeted the BJP-led Assam government on Wednesday for the latter’s decision to implement the recommendations of the Clause 6 committee headed by Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma (retired) “by excluding the soul of the committee’s report”.

Clause 6 of the 1985 Assam Accord provides for “Constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, as may be appropriate, shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people”.

State Congress leaders Bhupen Kumar Borah and Debabrata Saikia on Wednesday posed several questions to chief minister on his cabinet decision to implement 57 of the 67 recommendations to secure the future of the Assamese people.

Sarma on September 7 posted on X that his government would implement 52 of the 67 recommendations. “Of the remaining 15, we will proactively engage with Govt of India to implement them at the earliest such as reservation of seats in the Assembly and Parliament,” Sarma said.

The Congress leaders pointed out that the nodal agency for the implementation of the 1985 Assam Accord was the Centre, not the state government.

On Wednesday night, Borah said: “Assam is going through a harrowing time. While there has been renewed debate on issues of identity and citizenship, the interests of Assam, and honest implementation of the Assam Accord (specially Clauses V & VI), all of them are being manipulated to divert public attention from the chief minister’s family’s corruption and the failure of governance.”

He doubted whether the Centre was aware of the state cabinet’s decisions. “The state government has the power to execute but we have not seen any statement by the central government on the 57 recommendations — whether it has accepted the recommendations or it has issued any instruction on these recommendations! There is a difference between advising, recommending and executing something,” Borah said.

Borah asked whether the people of Assam can achieve their goal to secure their future if there is no clarity on the “soul of the Sharma Committee recommendations”.

By soul, Borah and Saikia referred to the reservation of seats in Parliament, Assembly, the creation of an Upper House to give voice to the minorities among the Assamese people, the introduction of an ILP, the reservation in government jobs and protection of natural resources such as coal and oil, in all of which the Centre will have to take a call.