Assam Agitation veterans hit the streets against Bill

GUWAHATI, May 30: To ventilate their strident opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, the Asom Andolan Sangrami Mancha (AASM), a forum comprising Assam Agitation veterans, and other organizations of the State staged a Raj Bhawan yatra from Ganesh Udyan at Ganeshguri in Guwahati on Wednesday.

Addressing those gathered at Ganesh Udyan here, former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said: “Assam can never rid itself of the threat perception so long the Centre tries to pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The Centre should agree to what a whole lot of parties and organizations in Assam have been demanding for the safeguard and welfare of the indigenous people of the State. The Assam Government should follow Meghalaya’s footsteps. It should also be capable enough of making the Centre yield to our demands.”

Educationist Udayaditya Bharali said: “The success of the Assam Agitation is reflected on the Assam Accord. Now this Bill is out to spell doom for the Accord. The BJP has brought this anti-national Bill to score political points. It’s imperative on our part to foil the Bill. The onus of solving problems in a State lies with its Governor. It’s imperative on the part of the Governor to take the right step.”

Asom Sanskritic Mahaxabha (ASM) president Sankar Das said: “We’re not going to accept the Bill. We’ll protest it in unison.”