Guwahati, April 28: The Axom Sommilito Morcha (United Opposition Forum), an alliance of regional and Left parties in Assam, on Monday condemned the attack on Congress leaders, MP Pradyut Bordoloi, MLA Sibamoni Bora, and NSUI national secretary Mohsin Khan, at Dhing in Nagaon district on Sunday.
In a joint statement to the media, Morcha president and MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan and general secretary and Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi stated that Assam traditionally had no association with political violence.
“Our political history has been marked by healthy competition, rivalry and friendship. The environment of treating political opponents as enemies was something we only read about happening in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and some other states. Sadly, that culture has now been imported to Assam,” the leaders claimed.
The alliance leaders further argued that had the law enforcement agencies taken strong and prompt action against earlier incidents of sporadic political violence, such episodes would not have escalated.
The Opposition alliance demanded immediate arrest of the perpetrators of Sunday’s attack to prevent such political violence from spreading further in Assam.
It may be recalled that the Opposition alliance was formed in September 2021 with the aim of uniting regional and left forces against the BJP. Initially, the Congress was a constituent of the alliance. However, Congress withdrew from the alliance during the Behali Assembly by-election in Assam.
According to the alliance leaders, discussions are now underway with the Congress, and the latter is likely to rejoin the alliance after the ongoing panchayat elections in the state.
