Centre's stand bewilders Assam BJP leaders

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, February 21: BJP leaders in Assam have been left scratching their heads with the rendra Modi government's postures on the big dam issue and the Indo-Bangla land swap deal igniting protests in the State.

Wary over the likely impact of the NDA government's decisions on the upcoming 2016 Assembly elections, fumbling State BJP leaders are airing different versions on the issues.

While Union minister Sarbanda Sonowal says that the Centre is yet to take any decision on the issue of granting citizenship to the Bangladeshis settled in the enclaves on the Indian side of the intertiol border, Tezpur MP RP Sharma said that the stand of the party on the illegal migrants issue has not changed.

Dibrugarh MLA Prashanta Phukan, however, dubbed the reports on progress made in the Indo-Bangla land swap deal as mere “rumours”.

On the other hand, State BJP president Siddhartha Bhattacharjee claimed that as per the proposal, the Bangladeshis in the enclaves on the Indian side will be given the option to either move to their country or stay back. “Similarly, Indians on their side will be given the option,” he said.

As the Congress and other organizations mounted sharp attacks on the BJP, charging it with going back on its pre-poll commitments and promises, Bhattacharjee trained his guns on vocal peasants’ activist Akhil Gogoi, saying the BJP does not attach importance to his remarks.

“We are concerned about what the people of the State feel, not what Akhil Gogoi says. He has hijacked the big dam movement which was started by other organizations,” the State BJP chief said.

On the issue of big dams, Union minister Sonowal said the decision of the expert committee will be adhered to.

On Friday, referring to the immense hydropower potential of Aruchal Pradesh, Prime Minister rendra Modi had said that Aruchal Pradesh can provide electricity to the entire country and called for development of this potential, simultaneously providing proper compensation to people who get displaced by hydropower projects.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday continued to fire salvos at the BJP, asserting that the party has failed to fulfill the promises it made to the people of the State before the Lok Sabha elections. Other Opposition groups have also launched tirades against the BJP’s alleged U-turn on key issues.

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