GUWAHATI, July 13 - Activists of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) today staged a sit-in demonstration at Dighalipukhuri here against the decision to auction small oilfields in Assam and the recent hike in VAT, and to press for action against radical terrorist elements.
The party demanded that the India-Bangladesh border be sealed to stop infiltration from across the border.
Party members, including AIUDF Legislature Party Leader Hazif Bashir Ahmed Kasimi, several party MLAs and senior leaders, took part in the protest.
Later they handed over a memorandum to the Prime Minister via the Kamrup Metro district administration.
�Assam had witnessed an agitation for a period of six long years to establish the rights of the people of Assam on oil... there is question (sic) of Assamese nationalist sentiments associated with Assam�s oilfields,� stated the memorandum and called upon the Centre to stop the bidding process for the small oilfields and instead engage the public sector companies in this regard.
Regarding the hike in VAT, the party said that the common people of Assam have been victims of price rise.
�Instead of adopting measures to minimize the seriousness of price hike, the Government of Assam has increased the VAT from 5 to 6 per cent which is likely to further increase the prices of 127 essential commodities,� it said, and called upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the issue.
The AIUDF also expressed concern about media reports regarding the entry of Islamic State terrorists into Assam.
�We demand appropriate action against the terrorists who have entered Assam. We also demand sealing of the Indo-Bangla border without further delay and all other possible measures to stop infiltration of unwanted elements in the interest of maintaining peace and harmony in the State,� added the memorandum submitted by the AIUDF to the Prime Minister.
