The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the long-pending – and controversial – Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh, ahead of bringing the Constitution Amendment Bill associated with it in Parliament next week. However, in a major departure, it has de-linked Assam from the agreement for now.
Top ministerial sources told The Hindu that the decision was taken after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj briefed her colleagues on the “amended” agreement and told them that the changes had been conveyed to the Bangladesh government.
The latter had agreed to these amendments, these sources said, stressing that the Sheikh Hasina-led government had acquiesced to the changes as it was constantly being accused by its political rivals in the country of being pro-India and yet not deriving any advantage from that association.
