Make stand clear on Citizenship Amendment Act: AGP Party workers to leaders

AGP AT CROSSROADS

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) — an ally of the ruling BJP-led State government and one of the main regional parties of Assam — appears to be at the crossroads. This has been buttressed by the fact that all the three entry points into the main headquarters of the party at Ambari here remained locked with security persons outside the premises on Tuesday even though a meeting was supposed to be organized there for exchange of views with party workers on the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) by the founder president of AGP and also former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.

As a result, this meeting was subsequently shifted to the Lakshmiram Barua Sadan at the Bhagawati Prasad Baruah Bhawan opposite to Dighalipukhuri. The party workers present on the occasion gave vent to their ire against some party leaders. Besides Mahanta who is also the Barhampur legislator, the leaders who addressed the party workers present on the occasion included former Minister and Tezpur MLA Brindaban Goswami and Patacharkuchi MLA Pabindra Deka.

Mahanta said, “A few AGP leaders have politically surrendered themselves to the powers that be in Delhi. While they express their opposition to CAA on one hand, these very leaders also participate in the BJP rallies on the other hand. They should be either with the AGP or the BJP.”

Adding that “no party of the national level wants the regional parties to be strong”, Mahanta added, “All party workers should come out openly against the new citizenship Act.”

Stating that party workers are confused over the status taken on CAA by a few leaders, the meeting took a resolution demanding that those leaders “should come up with a definite stand on the new Citizenship Act. And if they fail to do so, they should willingly resign from the party posts. The meeting demanded a political solution to CAA with the Union government taking steps to abrogate the Act in Parliament itself.”

The meeting also sought a probe by a High Court judge into the death of five persons during the recent anti-CAA movement across the State. They further called for removal of the security forces from the premises of the AGP headquarters here so that party workers can have free access to it.

Meanwhile, when asked if any disciplinary action will be initiated against Mahanta, party senior leader and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Phani Bhushan Choudhury stated, “We will discuss the issue. Mahanta should not do anything that might pose problems for the party. He has responsibilities towards the party, and the AGP also has given him a lot. Mahanta should strengthen the party. I have worked with him as a legislator for 34 years. If he has some grievances, he can very well discuss those with the party leaders.”

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