DIBRUGARH, June 27 - The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) today registered a strong protest against illegal foreigners and the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal�s adopted home town here, with a huge assembly of more than 10,000 people. The regional party, earlier deserted by Sonowal, sounded the symbolic shankhnaad and nagara against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, exhorting that every Assamese must come out to get the proposed amendment withdrawn.
AGP president Atul Bora in his speech said that AGP would oppose the Bill tooth and nail. �Allowing the Bill would mean brushing aside the Assam Accord, which is the culmination of the sacrifices of 855 martyrs. Our stand is clear that in the interest of our motherland, our land and our people, we will continue to raise our voices. We must oppose the Bill. If the Bill is passed, it will totally change the demography of the state. It will also pose a threat to our language, literature, art and culture,� said Bora.
On the conditions of alliance with the BJP, the AGP president said that the first condition was to ensure implementation of the Assam Accord clause by clause. Therefore implementation of the Assam Accord was also mentioned in the manifesto. However, to our surprise the Central Government came up with Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. We have made our stand clear about our opposition to the Bill to the President, Prime Minister, Home Minister and the Chairman of the concerned Joint Parliamentary Committee, said Bora.
Several party stalwarts like Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Keshab Mahanta, Phani Bhusan Choudhury, Birendra Prasad Baishya, Dr Kamala Kanta Kalita, Satyabrata Kalita and few others were present at the rally here today. They all later led a massive protest parade to Chowkidinghee from the venue on Mancotta road. The event named shankhnaad was hosted by the district unit of the AGP.
In his address former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta appealed to the people to oppose the Bill. �The Bill will affect the indigenous people, and, therefore, we must fight unitedly,� he said.
The rally was also addressed by Keshab Mahanta, Phani Bhusan Choudhury, Dr Kamla Kanta Kalita and Satyabrata Kalita. The district president of the AGP Punakan Baruah delivered the welcome speech. AGP general secretary and former Parliamentarian Birendra Prasad Baishya anchored the programme.
The meeting was also attended by family members of martyrs, members from various organisations, writer Ganesh Hazarika and eminent artists like Bipin Chowdang, Bhabesh Goswami, Syed Saddullah and Rajen Gohain.
