Scrapping Citizenship (Amendment) Act will bring peace to Assam: Tarun Gogoi

Former CM pooh-poohs BJP’s peace procession

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Pooh-poohing the ruling BJP’s decision to take out peace processions, former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday said peace would return to the State only when the Citizenship Amendment Act is scrapped.

“The BJP is now talking of peace. But who is responsible to bring disturbance to the State on the issue of CAA? The people are not fool and the ruling party has been thoroughly exposed this time,” Gogoi told reporters here on Friday.

Launching a veiled attack on Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Gogoi said the people of Assam do not need Sonowal to safeguard their language, culture and identities. “The people know how to struggle and sacrifice their identity, culture and language,” Gogoi asserted.

Gogoi alleged that the BJP-led government has brought the Citizenship Amendment Act only play politics by dividing people on religious line. He said the government is planning to divert the people’s attention from other major issues by engaging them in the CAA issue.

“Students and employees are fed up with the Sonowal government. Spontaneous protests and agitation against the CAA is evident of such development. But the ruling BJP government instead of understanding sentiment, emotion and feeling of Assamese people is trying to derail the ongoing democratic movement through divisive policies,” Gogoi said.

Gogoi questioned as how could the Chief Minister and his ministerial colleague Himanta Biswa Sarma say that the people of Assam have not understood the CAA. “Do Sonowal and Sarma consider the Assamese people as fool?” he said.

AICC leader in-charge of Assam Harish Rawat said the anti-CAA protests has already been intensified across India. “The Congress has been protesting this Act inside and outside the Parliament. The party will continue to protest till the Act is scrapped,” Rawat said.

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