GUWAHATI, Feb 18 - Leaders of major opposition parties from across the country, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, will gather in the city on February 26 for a joint rally.
This was stated by former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora at a press conference here today.
More than one lakh people are expected to attend the joint opposition rally at the Veterinary College playground at Khanapara here.
Without naming the leaders from other non-Congress opposition parties, who are likely to attend the rally, the Congress leaders said that the event would be a grand affair.
Gandhi will also attend a meeting on the North East Congress Coordination Committee meeting here on the same day, Bora said.
Opposition parties, both UPA and non-UPA, have held mammoth joint rallies at various places, including New Delhi and Kolkata, in recent days and the Guwahati event is intended to mobilise the masses of the Northeast against the BJP government in the run-up to the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, Bora and Gogoi castigated the ruling party over BJP president Amit Shah�s comments regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, during the latter�s Assam visit yesterday.
Shah had yesterday asserted that the Bill, which could not be passed in Rajya Sabha, will become a reality in 2019 once the BJP government is voted to power for the second consecutive time.
�The BJP is resorting to the politics of fear, threat and blackmail on the issue of the Bill. The BJP is talking about bringing back the Bill ignoring the sentiments of the people of Assam and the Northeast,� Bora said.
He accused the BJP leaders of making provocative comments. �Kashmir and Assam are not same. We will not allow Assam to become a second Tripura,� the APCC chief said.
Bora also accused the BJP of encroaching government land to build its new party office in Guwahati. He said the site selected for the BJP�s new office at Basistha Chariali here is located on land belonging to the State water resources department and alleged that two FIRs have been filed in this regard.
Gogoi termed as �unfortunate� Shah�s comments regarding the citizenship Bill. �The BJP wants to bring back the Bill despite such intense opposition to it in Assam and the Northeast. This clearly reveals the dictatorial attitude of the ruling party,� the former Chief Minister said.
�The BJP is saying that the Congress did not respect Dr Bhupen Hazarika. But Dr Hazarika received the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards during Congress party�s rule,� he added.
