Hours after the union cabinet cleared the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) on Monday snapped its two-year-old ties with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and pulled out of Sarbananda Sonowal-led Assam government.
A delegation of the AGP comprising party president Atul Bora, executive president Keshab Mahanta, senior leaders Phanibhushan Choudhury and Kamala Kalita met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and informed him about the party’s decision to come out of the alliance.
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“We tried to convince the BJP leadership about stand of the people of Assam on the Bill. However, the BJP has completely failed to understand the sentiments of the people of Assam. Now there is no reason that we should be in alliance with the BJP,” said party president Atul Bora while talking to newsmen at New Delhi today.
“We told the people of Assam that we will put in our efforts till the last moment to oppose the Bill. We have been a partner of the government and we tried to oppose the bill while be a part of the government. However, since the saffron party is going with heir agenda now there is no point of pulling this alliance,” Bora said.
Earlier in the day, senior AGP leader and former Chief Minister of Assam Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said in Guwahati that the AGP was all set to snap its alliance with the BJP in the state protesting the BJP-led NDA government’s bid to get Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 passed in the Parliament.
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Mahanta was speaking at an agitation programme in Guwahati organised by Forum against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016. The Forum observed the day on Monday as “Dhikkar Diwas” (Condemnation Day).
“I am not the authorized man to announce that decision. The party has taken a decision and party’s concerned office bearers can announce the decision. Party’s president, general secretary and other office bearers can only announce that decision,” said Mahanta when asked about when the party will snap the ties with BJP.