NEW DELHI, August 1: The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Dr M S Gill, today assured an Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) delegation that their apprehensions over the guidelines for intensive revision of electoral rolls in Assam would be looked into.

The assurance was given by the CEC when a high-level 10-member AGP delegation led by Union Minister for Steel, Birendra Prasad Baishya called on him today.

The Election Commission (EC) would address itself to the matter without delay, Dr Gill said adding that the election commissioners would go into the legal points and come to some conclusion soon.

Stating that the delegation desired some modification in some clauses which they said were not in tune with the Indian Citizenship Law, the CEC said, and added that the EC would continue to have all sympathies and understanding for Assam.

The EC was very clear that it must absolutely follow the Constitution, law and related Supreme Court judgements, Dr Gill said adding that the EC would have ``more serious'' discussions and decide soon.

Later talking to reporters, Baishya said that the delegation which included MPs, state ministers and MLAs, in its memorandum opposed the recent guidelines on Assam voters list and urged the Commission to review the guidelines as per the spirit of the Assam accord signed in 1985.

The guidelines was against the clause of Assam accord and against the citizenship of the country, he said.

There was great resentment among the people of Assam over the guidelines and the AGP could not accept the sub-clause (v) of the guidelines which was contrary to and inconsistent with the Assam accord, the memorandum said.``Sub-clause (v) which has a serious effect in regard to the identity of the citizens, as many as determined by the EC, has tremendous repercussion among all sections of the people of Assam,'' it said.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.