The Bharatiya Janata Party's vision document has provoked the ire of north-easterners staying in other parts of India by referring to them as "immigrants".
In their vision document for the 2015 Delhi assembly elections, BJP said that the party will ensure protection for the north eastern "immigrants".
"North Eastern Immigrants to be Protected," the section read, which further explained: "Special Cells in all police stations and Special 24 hour Helpline numbers to be set up for the protection of the North Eastern migrants. To safeguard the students of N.E. origin, special guardianship will be arranged with local families for them".
BJP's reference to north easterners staying in other regions of India as "immigrants" has sparked anger among them and others as well. Micro-blogging site Twitter has been flooded with posts against BJP for calling NE citizens migrants.
"Dear @BJP4India, I am from North East and I am not a foreigner! I am not immigrant in my own country!" Jaynul Haq Choudhury tweeted.
#ThisTimeAAP
shameless vision document by bjp,It states safeguards of immigrants of North East @PMOIndia I am not a immigrant..I am indian
— Manish Agarwal (@camanish20) February 3, 2015"It's really shameful that BJP has used the word "immigrant" for our brothers & sisters of northeast india, in their vision document," Brijendra Singh said in his tweet.
"It does not offend anyone when North Eastern people are called immigrant in the Delhi BJP Vision Document, #AIBRoast offends national honor," Paromita Bardoloi tweeted.
"So, according to BJP's vision document for Delhi election from today I am an immigrant in Delhi So it better #5SaalKejriwal," Abhijit Debnath said in his tweet.
One of the users said that Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, staying in Delhi, too needs protection as he is from North East India. "According to BJP's Vision Document Kiren Rijiju is NE immigrant, therefore he needs protection," Dipankar #LDL said.
BJP withdraws word "immigrant"
According to an NDTV editor, BJP has now withdrawn the word and said that it was a printing error.
"Bjp withdraws the word "immigrant" from vision document. It says people from North-East are equally important and it was a printing error," NDTV India's senior political editor Akhilesh Sharma said in his tweet.
This however, did not mend the harm the party's vision document has already caused as BJP continues to face the ire of people who have been offended.
"BJP: The word "immigrant" in its vision document is a printing mistake. I thought the entire document was a printing mistake. #ThisTimeAAP," Ramasamy T tweeted.
