‘Centre has hatched conspiracy to turn Assamese community into minority’

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: “Monday turned to be a ‘black day’ as soon as the Union Government moved the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha to pass it, ignoring all protests. By sponsoring the Bill, the Centre has hatched a conspiracy to turn the Assamese community into a minority one and to create discrimination between the Assamese and Bangalees. In this regard, a political figure of the State has extended full support to the Centre and the person is none other than Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal,” said Dr. Joy Prakash Das, the Lakhimpur District Congress Committee (LDCC) president, on Monday while addressing a press meet held at North Lakhimpur Press Club.

In the press meet, Dr. Das severely criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government for the move to pass the Bill and to turn it into an Act to enforce it for political gain. He slammed the Prime Minister and the BJP for their politics in the name of religion through which the foreigners were divided and attempts were taken to grant citizenship to a certain section of them. In this regard, he vehemently criticized Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for not opposing the Bill. “The Chief Minister has compromised with Nagpur. His only aim is to sustain power at present,” he alleged.

Regarding the issue, the LDCC president criticized the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) which came into being in the State as the outcome of the anti-foreigners’ movement and Assam Accord. “Three ministers of the State Government who are representing the AGP, are welcoming a terrible future to the State by supporting the Bill. We condemn their weak attitude which is quite contradictory to their past life and career and ideology. They are attempting to sell the State for the greed of power,” he alleged further. In connection, he criticized Lakhimpur AGP MLA Utpal Dutta too by raising a volley of questions to him to clarify his stand regarding the CAB.

The LDCC president declared that his party strongly opposed the contentious Bill. “We oppose the Bill as it is against the spirit of the Assam Accord which our party supports. So, the Bill is against the interest of the State. We will be opposing the Bill in the future. We have comprehensive support to all those who are initiating agitation against it. Our party will stage every kind of democratic protest against Bill and demanding its scrapping. The protest will be staged in Jantar-Mantar wherein 50 activists of LDCC will take part. We have decided to campaign against the CAB to make the rural people about its impact,” he added.

In the press meet, he feared that the open grazing lands under Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts would be distributed to the Hindu foreigners, who would be granted citizenship after the Bill is passed in the Parliament.

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