NEW DELHI, May 4 � In the face of tough opposition, the Modi government today in a major reversal of stand, decided to discard its decision to de-link Assam from the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) and instead, has firmed up plans to go ahead with the pending Bill in the Rajya Sabha.
The NDA government�s decision came following stiff opposition from the Congress party and serious reservation of Bangladesh to the Modi government�s sudden move to de-link Assam from the pact that was signed by the two Prime Ministers in Dhaka.
According to BJP MP Ramen Deka, top leaders of the NDA including External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu opened discussions with senior Congress leaders over the weekend. But the Congress has rejected the NDA proposition and stuck to its stand of opposing the fresh amendments to the Constitution Amendment Bill, de-linking Assam.
The NDA floor managers calculated that it does not have the strength to get the 119th Constitution Amendment Bill passed if the Congress opposes it. The NDA is also not sure of the stand of the Trinamool Congress. Trinamool chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, after initial opposition to the LBA, has decided to support the Bill.
The Bill would have to again go to the Union Cabinet, as the last meeting had decided to keep out Assam from it, said Deka.
According to the NDA�s plan, it had proposed to place the Bill in the Business Advisory Committee on Tuesday and bring it for passage in the Rajya Sabha thereafter.
�The NDA government had brought the amendments respecting the sentiments of the people of Assam, but the Congress party played spoilsport,� commented Deka.
The BJP meanwhile, called all its Assam MPs � State president Siddhartha Bhattacharya was specially summoned from Assam � to attend a meeting held at BJP national president Amit Shah�s Akbar Road house. The meeting was attended by Sushma Swaraj, Venkaiah Naidu, Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Sarbananda Sonowal, general secretary Ram Madhav, besides the BJP�s Assam MPs.
The meeting that lasted for over an hour, saw the top BJP leaders explaining to the Assam BJP MPs that although it made an attempt to de-link Assam, the government was unsuccessful because of Congress party�s stand.
The BJP State president later told newsmen that Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has for political benefits, opposed the NDA�s amended Bill. �The BJP appeals to the Assam Chief Minister to review his stand in the larger interest of the people of the State,� he said.
Deka meanwhile, said that it was conveyed to them that the Centre cannot keep the Bill pending, as the issue has been lying in cold storage for over 40 years. The Government of India cannot keep an international matter hanging indefinitely, it was explained by the Central leaders.
As reported, the NDA government, in view of the 2016 Assembly elections in Assam, decided to de-link the State from the Bill to send across a message to the people, in the face of opposition to the LBA in the State.
