Assam CM seeks talks with anti-CAA protest leaders, calls for harmony

GUWAHATI:The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Assam government said on Friday the protests against the amended citizenship act was the result of a misinformation campaign, attempting to reach out to the people of the state that has seen violence over the legislation.

On the day sporadic protests took place, especially in the Brahmaputra valley, the BJP took out a peace march in Nalbari in lower Assam.

Shortly before that, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and senior minister Himanta Biswa Sarma addressed the media at the CM’s official residence. Sonowal promised that Assam will always remain for the Assamese. Sonowal and Sarma also took part in the peace march.

Both Sonowal and Sarma stressed how peace is required for the development of Assam and how conscious citizens should work towards establishing peace. In his interaction with the media, Sonowal offered to talk to the protesters, including the All Assam Students Union (AASU), which led demonstration against CAA on Friday.

The chief minister, addressing the people before the rally, appealed to the people to maintain peace and harmony so that “we can take Assam to greater heights”.

He later tweeted that the rally was a “call for peace and harmony, a call that the people of Assam want to continue on the path of development and progress”.

Samujjal Bhattacharya, the chief advisor of the All Assam Students Union, said no backchannel talks were on and the government is yet to communicate with them.

“The chief minister is trying to confuse the people,” he said.

Dilip Saikia, the general secretary of the state unit of the BJP and a Lok Sabha MP, said protests are continuing, but the BJP will be able to counter them.