GUWAHATI: Regional political party Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) has strongly condemned Union home minister Amit Shah’s statement that the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) would be notified once the vaccination drive against COVID-19 was over in the country.
Shah had made the statement while addressing a poll rally in West Bengal on Thursday to drum up support for the saffron party in the poll-bound state.
Addressing reporters here on Friday, AJP vice-president Adip Kumar Phukan condemned the statement by Shah, alleging that it once again brought to the fore the “anti-Assam” stance of the BJP government.
Phukan warned of a massive agitation across Assam if the BJP government took steps to implement CAA in the state.
“If the BJP government applies its political might forcefully to implement the Act, which is not only anti-Constitution but harmful to the secular fabric of the country and goes against equal rights, then the people of Assam will have to oppose the move,” he said.
It may be mentioned that the AJP, floated as a regional political party in September last year, was an outcome of the anti-CAA agitation that gained momentum by the end of the year 2019.
“Our party has already begun preparations to take the fight against CAA to the political arena and to the streets. By such a stance, the BJP government has once again instilled fear and concern among the people of Assam. But we are prepared against any challenge and consequence of any move of the BJP government,” the AJP vice president said.
The regional party also condemned the government’s failure to revive two non-functional mills – Nagaon and Cachar Paper Mills.
“We condemn the central government’s move to favour liquidation over revival of the mills. The BJP, as a party and government has insulted the Assamese people by not keeping its commitments,” Phukan said.
“Besides, the fact that the Assam government could not compel the central government to revive the mills clearly indicates how weak the state government is. The Assam government has shown that it is not with the people,” he said, demanding revival of the mills.
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