Assam: Party floated by some on path of agitation a plot to split BJP votes, says Shah
GUWAHATI: In a veiled attack on the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said some people in Assam, who have always walked the path of agitation, floated a political party as a part of a conspiracy to help the Congress win next year’s Assembly elections but they would not be successful.
“Election is coming up. Some people will try to take you to the path of agitation. I want to ask them what they gave Assam by agitating. Did it lead to development or creation of employment or infrastructure? Only the youth of Assam became martyrs...
“Some of them today floated a political party by changing their colour. It is a conspiracy to cause a split of BJP votes and help the Congress that fired the shots win the polls. But they can never form the government,” a confident Shah told a crowd in Guwahati at a programme where some projects were launched by the state government.
Lives were lost during the six-year-long bloody Assam Agitation of early 1980s, spearheaded by the AASU. It ended with the signing of Assam Accord by the then Rajiv Gandhi government with the AASU. Assam was under the Congress rule then. The AASU had also actively participated in the protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act which led to the loss of some lives.
In September this year, the AASU along with Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chhatra Parishad floated a political party “Asom Jatiya Parishad” (AJP). Another party “Raijor Dal” (People’s Party) was floated by 70 organisations, led by peasants’ body Krishak Mukti Sangram Samitee (KMSS).
The general perception is that the AJP, which is headed by former AASU leader Lurinjyoti Gogoi, will cut into the votes of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), more than that of the BJP. The options for the Assamese sub-nationalists and people believing in regionalism increased with the birth of AJP and KMSS. The AGP is battling factionalism.
Shah also spoke about 15th century saint-reformer Srimanta Sankardeva to the rhinos at Kaziranga National Park. “Srimanta Sankardeva and (his disciple) Madhavdeva had united the people in Assam. They started a Bhakti Andolan in India and spread their message,” the Home Minister said.
He took part in the distribution of a one-time grant of Rs 2.5 lakh each to 8,000 “namghars” (Vaishnavite prayer houses) for their makeover under the “Assam Darshan” scheme. The state has over one lakh namghars and the government said all of them would be covered.
Given the assistance to the religious institutions, Shah was hopeful that it would lead to the revival of “Bhakti” movement across Assam villages.
The government has already allocated Rs 155 crore to give a facelift to the Batadrava Than in Bordowa, the birthplace of Sankardeva. It will be transformed into one like the Golden Temple in Punjab.
Shah heaped praise on Assam’s BJP-led coalition government for protecting the rhinos of Kaziranga National Park.
“The rhinos are the pride of Assam. They were often poached when the Congress was in power. Today, the BJP government has stopped poaching. The park surroundings have been also cleared of infiltrators. Infiltration influences our culture and literature, snatches opportunities from youth and impedes development. The BJP has worked to stop it,” Shah asserted.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi solved the Bodo problem which helped return peace. This was evident from 80% voters’ turnout in the recent Bodoland Territorial Council elections. For the first time, there was no bloodshed this time around, he said.
He said many youths who wielded the gun were now contributing to Assam’s development after joining the mainstream.
Describing Assam’s culture as “India’s ornament”, he said legendary singer-composer Bhupen Hazarika was a symbol of the Northeast’s art and culture and he was honoured with the Bharat Ratna by the Modi government.