Guwahati : Assam’s regional party Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) Tuesday held protest demonstrations across the state protesting the central government’s decision to hand over Assam’s land to neighbouring Bangladesh.
“Before coming to power, the BJP had opposed the India-Bangladesh land swap deal, a protocol to which was signed during the erstwhile Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Now after coming to power, they made a U-turn over the issue and are going ahead with the exchange of land with Bangladesh,” AGP president Atul Bora said.
He said the Centre’s move exposed the attitude of national parties towards Assam and the northeastern region, and appealed to the people to strengthen regional parties like the AGP for overall development of the state.
“Before the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP published two election manifestos and assured the people of Assam that not a single inch of Assam’s land will be handed over to Bangladesh. It is not even one year Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office and the party has started showing its true colours,” he said.
“Handing over an inch of Assam’s land to another country is not acceptable to us and we are going to oppose the move of the BJP-led government at the Centre,” he said.
He said it was this attitude of the subsequent governments in New Delhi that the people of the state were facing crisis.
“The BJP and the Congress are two sides of the same coin. There is no difference in their attitude towards Assam and the other states of the northeast. Both parties blackmail the people before the elections and forget them later,” he said.
“These national parties have their eyes fixed on the resources of Assam, and are not bothered about the problems of the state,” he added.