Citizens’ group asks AGP to withdraw support from BJP government

The civil society representatives have asked the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) to pull out from the BJP-led government in Assam if Delhi goes ahead with the Citizenship Amendment Bill. AGP is a key coalition partner of the BJP-led government in Assam.

The party on Thursday held a meeting with the civil society representatives of the State in Guwahati seeking suggestions from them over the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

The Bill, if passed, will pave the way for granting Indian citizenship to Hindu migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who had entered India illegally to escape religious persecution.

Former DGP and author Harekrishna Deka, senior journalists Ajit Kr Bhuyan, Adip Kr Phukan, Prasanta Rajguru, advocate Nekibur Zaman were among others who attended the meeting.

The AGP leaders said the Bill, if passed, will demean the Assam accord.  “We have been maintaining our stand on the citizenship amendment Bill. Our team will meet the Prime Minister and crucial individuals and inform them about the outcome of the meeting that the people of the state don’t want the amendment Bill at any cost,” said AGP president Atul Bora.

According to Assam Accord which was signed after six-year-long agitation to flush out illegal citizens especially from Bangladesh, says that anyone who enters the country after March 25, 1971 is a foreigner irrespective of their caste, creed and religious identity.

Meanwhile, a team of the regional party has left for New Delhi to meet the Prime Minister and other leaders of the NDA.

The prominent personalities who have attended the citizens’ meet on Thursday have expressed their thoughts that a strong regional force in the form of AGP can actually safeguard the interest of the state.

“What we have witnessing is the rise of communalism in the line of religion in the state which is not a good sign for the future. This is the time we need a strong regional force in the form of AGP to genuinely address the issues of Assam and for that we all are with the party,” said Hafiz Ahmed, president of Char Chapori Sahitya Parishad (CCSP), a literary body.