Asom Gana Parishad workers question leaders on CAA

Party workers virtually laid siege to the AGP headquarters in Guwahati

Members of the Asom Gana Parishad, a ruling regional ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Assam, on Thursday questioned their leaders for supporting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Party workers virtually laid siege to the AGP headquarters in Guwahati and pointed out that their leaders’ decision to be on the same page as the BJP on CAA has made them ‘lose face’ in the State.

They were critical of three Ministers — Atul Bora, Keshab Mahanta and Phani Bhushan Choudhury — for backing the CAA. Mr. Bora is also the AGP president.

The trio also came under attack for criticising former Chief Minister and AGP founder-president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, who has taken an anti-CAA stand. “The party leadership has betrayed the people of Assam by supporting an Act that threatens their existence,” the former CM had said a few days ago.

Maoists blamed

Assam BJP president Ranjeet K. Dass blamed the violent start to the anti-CAA stir in the State on Maoists and the Popular Front of India (PFI), while informing newspersons about the programmes undertaken by the party to remove ‘misconceptions’ about the citizenship law.

“The torching of the house of BJP legislator Binod Hazarika at Chabua (Tinsukia district) and government buildings was done by the Maoists through the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti,” he said, adding that the authorities have been tracking active members of PFI trying to start communal riots.

Yechury visit

The State unit of the CPI(M) said party general secretary Sitaram Yechury would be addressing an anti-CAA rally in Guwahati on Friday morning.

“The CPI(M) and other Left-democratic parties have been alongside the students and common people who have come together irrespective of race, language and religion to oppose CAA for saving secularism and democracy in India from fascist forces,” the party’s State secretary Deben Bhattacharya said.

Meanwhile, the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chhatra Parishad has announced a series of anti-CAA programmes beginning January 4. Opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected visit for the inauguration of the third Khelo India Youth Games in Guwahati on January 10, the organisation said it would observe January 11 as black day across Assam.