No delay on ST status, Rajbongshis tell BJP

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, August 22: The All Assam Koch-Rajbongshi Sanmilani (AAKRS) has appealed to the BJP that leads the NDA government at the Centre not to go for any change in the modalities for according ST status to the Koch Rajbongshis that may delay the process.

Talking to newsmen today, the AAKRS leaders said: “The BJP is now agile in the process for according ST status to the Koch Rajbongshis. If this is a genuine move on the part of the party, we welcome it. However, if the party shows this agility with its eye set on the 2016 Assembly elections, we will call it only a poll strategy of the party. We need to raise such issues because in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP manifesto made a promise to accord ST status to the Koch-Rajbongshis within six months of coming to power. The promise made by the party has proved to be a false one. This apart, the modus operandi, including the move to change the modalities for according ST status to the Koch Rajbongshis, seems that the party is killing time so as to push the issue beyond the Assembly elections slated for 2016.”

The AAKRS leaders further said: “The Parliamentary Select Committee said in its report to accord St status to the Koch Rajbongshis. We appeal to the government at the Centre not to delay the process of according ST status to the Koch Rajbongshis on the pretexts of changing the modalities.”

The AARKS leaders also announced their agitation schedule. On September 25 this year, they will demonstrate in front of Raj Bhavan demanding speeding up the process for providing ST status to the Koch Rajbongshis, and the agitation will be followed by similar agitations in all districts of the State. On October 10 this year, AAKRS members will gherao the residences of all State MPs and stage dhar. On November 8, special AAKRS representatives will meet in Guwahati and in November this year, they will hold a mass rally in Guwahati and dhar in Delhi.