Agencies
GUWAHATI, DECEMBER 4
PRIME minister Narendra Modi and his BJP-led government’s endorsement of the erstwhile UPA government’s agreement with Bangladesh to transfer certain portions of land along the border continued to evoke protests in Assam, with the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) staging separate demonstrations here on Thursday.
While the AASU took out torch-light protest marches in in all district towns condemning Modi’s announcement to support the UPA’s land transfer deal with Bangladesh, the AGP also took out protest marches across the state asking the BJP-led government not to hand over even one inch of Assam land to Bangladesh.
AGP protestors wore Modi masks and placards containing quotes like “I am anti-Assam”, “I cannot deport Bangaldeshis” and “I can’t keep my poll promises” and marched through major streets in Guwahati and other towns today. “The prime minister thinks the people of Assam are fools. The people however have understood that the BJP and Modi said one thing before the elections and just the opposite after elections,” said AGP president Atul Bora.
Bora also dismissed Modi’s announcement in Guwahati on Sunday that the land-transfer agreement when implemented would only help stop infiltration to Assam. “There is no link between the land-transfer agreement and stopping infiltration from Bangladesh. Modi is trying to fool the people of Assam. It is a total betrayal after Assam sent seven BJP MPs to Lok Sabha,” the AGP president said.
AASU general secretary Tapan Kumar Gogoi too hit out at prime minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for taking two opposite stand on the India-Bangladesh land transfer deal before and after elections. “Before Lok Sabha election the BJP sent senior leaders to Assam to stage demonstrations against the land transfer deal. Then BJP president Rajnath Singh and other senior leaders like Arun Jaitley and SS Ahluwalia had also openly opposed handing over Assam’s land to Bangladesh. But after winning elections and forming the government, it has changed its stand,” said AASU general secretary Tapan Kumar Gogoi.
