Regional party Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), a partner of the BJP-led alliance in the state, on Wednesday released its manifesto for the ensuing Assam Assembly election 2021 without mentioning the CAA issue.
With this, the AGP again made it clear that the party has lost its character of “regionalism” after joining hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
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As the agitation against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (now CAA) gained momentum in Assam, the AGP had no other option but to extend its support towards the anti-CAA movement in the state.
The three AGP ministers even announced their resignation from the Sarbananda Sonowal ministry coming under pressure from the people of Assam before the BJP was getting ready to pass the Bill in the Parliament.
But due to their hunger for power, the AGP ministers rejoined the Sonowal ministry.
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Also read: Why the future of Asom Gana Parishad seems bleak
In order to come to power, the AGP under the leadership of party president Atul Bora joined hands with the BJP in 2016 and became a partner of the BJP-led coalition government at Dispur.
Gradually, the AGP lost its character of “regionalism” in the hands of the BJP and this has reflected in its election manifesto, where there is no mention of the word “CAA” even for once.
The BJP, which released its election manifesto in Guwahati on Tuesday, announced that it would implement the CAA in Assam if it is voted to power in the ensuing Assembly election.
The Congress, two other newly-floated regional parties, Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and its alliance partner Raijor Dal in their election manifestos have expressed their anti-CAA stand.
Congress in its election manifesto for the Assam Assembly election has promised that it would bring a law against the implementation of the CAA.
But fearing sidelining by the BJP if it comes to power after the ensuing Assam Assembly election, the AGP did not dare to express its stand on the issue of CAA.
Talks are doing the round that the AGP, which has already lost its ideology of regionalism, is on the way to see the doomsday with the party leaders, Atul Bora, Keshav Mahanta and Phani Bhushan Choudhury joining the BJP.
However, the party in its manifesto said its primary aim is to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.
In the manifesto, the AGP, which failed to detect and deport illegal foreigners from Assam during its regime for two terms, reiterated that it would pressurize the Centre to detect illegal infiltrators on the basis of the Assam Accord and deport them.
AGP president and minister Atul Bora, two other ministers Phani Bhushan Choudhury and Keshav Mahanta were not present at the manifesto release function.
The event, organised in the AGP headquarters at Ambari in Guwahati, was attended by MP Biren Baishya, former MP Deepak Das, former minister Nurul Hussain and others.