When the most of Brahmaputra valley is fuming for the tabling of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Parliament on Monday, leading to an Assam bandh call on Tuesday, doyen of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Northeast and former Union Minister, Kabindra Purkayastha, had a relaxed look on his face.
Having a hot cup of tea with a newspaper in hand, basking himself in a cold wintry sunshine, Kabindra Purkayastha didn’t mince in expressing the state of affairs in Assam, in a chat with Northeast Now.
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Also read: AGP’s feeble voice is heard on Monday, needs to make it louder
NE NOW: Your first reactions on AGP severing ties with your party.
Kabindra Purkayastha: It is really unfortunate. They said that they would severe ties in the past. But, there is no reason for them to severe ties with us just for BJP tabling this Citizenship (Amendment Bill), 2016. I personally believed that they would give it a second thought and would not have left ties with BJP, but now that they have severed ties, it is very unfortunate.
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NE NOW: Three ministers of the State Government would resign coming Wednesday. Would the severing of ties or their resignations have any effect on BJP’s forthcoming general election prospects?
Kabindra Purkayastha: There will be no affect for our party. I believe that it would affect them more now. They played the panchayat elections on their own. What was the result? They almost became a non-entity. They got around 14 seats in the last Assembly elections just because they fought tying up with BJP. In the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections we won’t have any problem if AGP is not with us rather they would as a party would go into oblivion.
NE NOW: AASU and NESO have called for an Assam bandh on Tuesday. Your take on that.
Kabindra Purkayastha: The bandh call is a political one. Just for having grudges for the tabling of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 the bandh call has been given and not for any interest of the society. They have to show the people of opposing the bill for which have called this bandh.
NE NOW: How much this bandh call would affect Barak valley?
Kabindra Purkayastha: The bandh call would have no effect in Barak valley rather we have not seen any such massive protest in Brahmaputra valley as well. Had they opposed, how come we won handsomely in the panchayat elections.