GUWAHATI: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Friday launched a frontal attack on the incumbent BJP, asking the saffron party to clarify its stand on the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
“BJP needs to tell us if the CAA benefits Assamese people or hurts them?” asked APCC president Ripun Bora.
Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate three projects of the petroleum ministry from Silapathar on February 22. This will be the third visit of Modi to Assam in just about a month since January 23 when he addressed a rally in Sivasagar.
By and large, the ruling party has been silent on CAA in the recent past, even as Union home minister Amit Shah did make a statement during a poll rally in Bengal earlier this month that the Act would be notified once the vaccination drive against COVID-19 was over in the country.
Firing a salvo at Shah, Congress campaign committee chairman, Pradyut Bordoloi asked the Union home minister to come clear on CAA.
“Can Amit Shah please clarify if CAA will be implemented all-India or only in Bengal?” asked Bordoloi, whose question assumes significance as BJP is aggressively campaigning for CAA in Bengal elections.
Other senior leaders, who are currently in the midst of a “Save Assam” campaign too joined in to question the incumbent party on CAA.
“Very simple question…. does the BJP think CAA is in favour of Assamese people?” asked Gaurav Gogoi, the chairman of the Congress manifesto committee.
Congress publicity committee chairman, Rakibul Hussain asked, “Does the Assam BJP think that its stand on CAA is in conformity with its pitch for jati, mati, bheti (community, land, home)?”
Congress Legislature Party Leader Debabrata Saikia also joined in to ask, “Why is the BJP pretending that CAA will not be implemented in Assam when its rules were framed in July?”
The Opposition party, as it is, has taken up the contentious Act as a major poll plank, while looking to garner public support during rallies and also promising to build a martyrs’ memorial to commemorate the sacrifices of the anti-CAA protesters.
The APCC leaders and members also embarked on its “anti-CAA” gamocha collection drive on Friday with the family of martyr Sam Stafford, the youngest among the five martyred during the anti-CAA movement in the state, donating the first gamocha to the party.
Party workers are making door-to-door visits with an aim to collect 50 lakh gamochas with anti-CAA messages.
“The donated gamochas will be displayed at the upcoming martyr’s memorial in Guwahati,” the APCC chief said.