GUWAHATI, Dec 27 - Reacting to the statement made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding frequent public protests in the State, the leadership of the All Assam Students� Union (AASU) on Sunday said that the people of Assam will give a befitting reply to the �insulting� remark soon.
It added that the people of Assam will continue non-violent protests against the �injustice of Delhi� while demanding redressal of the people�s genuine grievances.
Addressing a massive public gathering at Amingaon on Saturday, Shah had said, �As the election season is approaching, a section of political leaders, who identify with the separatist thought, will try to incite common people to protest. But what have we got from protest? Has protest fetched us development or created employment opportunities or developed health service infrastructure...?�
Criticizing Shah, AASU president Dipanka Kumar Nath said, �By making such a statement, the Union Home Minister has insulted the martyrs of Assam Agitation and anti-CAA movement. He showed disrespect to the non-violent protests. We warned him to stay away from making such statements in the coming days.�
AASU general secretary Sankor Jyoti Baruah said that Shah�s fascist mentality came to the fore through his statement.
�From the days of pre-independence till date, without staging protest, people of Assam never got anything. What have we got from Delhi without staging any protest? In every such protest a number of people, including youths and students, become martyrs. Similarly, general public endured immense torture. People of Assam had to come out to the streets from the language movement to the anti-CAA protest,� the AASU leader rued.
They also alleged that the Central government, State government and the Union Home Minister are responsible for the death of five persons during the recent anti-CAA protest in Assam.
The AASU leadership further stated that people who accompanied Amit Shah on the stage on Saturday�s meeting came to power through the process of public protest only.
�Even, Amit Shah himself along with his other colleagues came to power by carrying out different protests across the country in the past and the ruling party of Assam, when it was in the opposition, also carried out a number of protests demanding implementation of the Assam Accord, update of NRC, halt to work on big dams, sealing of the Indo-Bangla international border, and reversal of the move undertaken to cede Assam�s land to Bangladesh,� the AASU leaders said in a statement.
Furthermore, the AASU slammed Shah for not uttering a single word regarding implementation of the report prepared by the high-level committee formed by the Home Ministry itself to execute Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.
�He also failed in making a satisfactory statement regarding the flood and erosion issues of Assam,� the AASU added.
