Assam groups up in arms against Citizenship Amendment Bill
guwahati — The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) on Tuesday staged a massive protest rally here against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, asking the BJP-led government at the Centre to throw the legislation into the dustbin if they respected the historic Assam Accord and the people of the state.
AGP President Atul Bora said that Assam Accord must be implemented for the sake of securing the rights of the indigenous people.
The rally that started from Latasil playground to the city’s Chandmari area, was against the Bill that seeks to make the minority communities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan eligible for applying for Indian citizenship. The Bill is under consideration of a joint parliamentary committee of both the Houses.
“The Assam Accord” is sacrosanct “for us and I want to ask the BJP leadership whether they respect the Assam Accord or not or the blood of martyrs of the Assam movement who laid down their lives for the state,” Bora said.
The AGP is a partner of the BJPled alliance government in Assam and the party has three legislators in Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s cabinet.
While over 60 organisations in Assam called for a 12-hour Assam bandh on Tuesday to protest against the Bill, the AGP decided to hold the protest rally. —