Normal life in several districts of the Indian state of Assam has been disrupted due to protests against the Indo-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement and a 10-hour state shutdown called by the regional political party Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).
Published : 08 May 2015, 01:07 AM
However, the shutdown only evoked a mixed response in Guwahati City on Thursday.
Most businesses remained open and schools ran as usual.
Police arrested several leaders and members of the AGP across the state for trying to impose the ‘bandh’ by disrupting traffic and asking shopkeepers to pull down shutters.
AGP leader Ramendra Narayan Kalita said although the BJP had promised to keep Assam out of the deal before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the LBA ratification had revealed the true colours of the saffron party.
The BJP also compromised with the Congress on the Bangladeshi influx issue at the cost of Assam’s security and territorial integrity, accused the regional party.
Kalita alleged that the BJP had sold false promises to Assam’s people in order to get votes in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Newly elected president of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) Dipankar Nath said it was strange that the BJP, which had all along sought Assam’s exclusion from the ratification, joined hands with the Congress on the issue.
He added the BJP-led government must tell the people of Assam why it finally agreed to part with some portion of Assam’s land.
On the other hand, for making a U-turn on the issue, the Congress demanded resignation of all the seven BJP Lok Sabha members from Assam.
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee spokesman Ripun Bora wondered why the seven BJP MPs from Assam remained silent when they had sought votes by promising to keep Assam out of the LBA’s purview.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called up Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, thanking him for extending all support in getting the historic land swap agreement passed in Parliament.