Meeting Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal by Assam’s regional party, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), an alliance partner of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has not gone down well with some, especially, the BJP stalwarts of Barak Valley.
The timing too, has added a pinch of salt for many leaders of this region, who are trying their level best to get the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 passed, at any cost, in order to win back their vote bank, informed State BJP spokesperson Dr Rajdeep Roy.
After AGP’s eight-member delegation visiting Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar and a doyen of the Janata Dal, for supporting ‘against’ the Citizens (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which is likely to be tabled in the Winter Session of Parliament, Dr Rajdeep Roy, did not waste time to shoot his views and stand of his party on this grave issue that has a special place, especially, in Barak Valley.
Addressing the media at his residence on Monday afternoon, Dr Roy, made some notes of what transpired during the AGP regime who have been in power for 10 long years (1985 to 1989-90 and 1996 to 2001 and placed before the media.
He quipped, “I just want to ask them as to how many Bangladeshis they have deported in their tenure. What does the track record shows, 12,846 foreigners were identified before 2005 and only 1587 were deported.”
Dr Roy went on lashing at AGP and said, “Between 2005 and 2008 again, 14789 were identified and only one was pushed back. AGP needs to understand that today Pakistan is talking in the UN about Bengalis of Assam, which means that they have nefarious designs on Assam. It also clearly shows that they want to bask through separatist activities.”
On being asked of the threat of AGP leaving the alliance, to which, Dr Rajdeep Roy, said, “They are a regional party and regional sentiments would be there, but, on this national issue of protecting Hindu minorities persecuted in a foreign land, they should come out and extend help and support it. If they are still adamant, to stall the bill or leave the alliance, then they are free to do so, he added.