Imphal, Aug 28 (IANS): The Communist Party of India (CPI) Tuesday demanded a national policy to detect illegal migration of foreigners into India.

"The illegal immigrant issue is a serious problem and the union government must initiate steps to evolve a national policy to detect illegal migration," CPI Manipur leader M. Nara told IANS.

The National Council of the CPI, scheduled to be held from Sep 5 in New Delhi, will discuss the illegal migration from Bangladeshi and Myanmar, he said.

Blaming the central government for the violence in Assam, Nara, a former Manipur minister, said: "It must own up responsibility for the violence as they have completely failed to tackle the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants issue in Assam.

"This is not an old issue whether in Assam, Meghalaya or Manipur. The local people have been raising this issue but successive governments at the centre and in the state have failed to take it seriously," he said.

"The situation (illegal immigrants) has reached an explosive stage. You never know it might erupt in Manipur or Meghalaya any time as it has happened in Mumbai.

"Therefore, the government must evolve a national policy to treat this burning issue before it explodes all over the country."