Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika Responds to AASU Allegation of BJP Paying People to Attend Rallies, Calls it "Disrespectful"

Guwahati, December 30, 2019:

Assam Minister of state for Health & Family Welfare Pijush Hazarika, on Monday, said that allegations of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hiring people to attend its 'peace rally' in Morigaon’s Jagiroad, was "disrespectful".

Hazarika said, “As a leader representing Jagiroad, I am hurt at the disrespectful comment about the supporters who attended the BJP meeting. I hope this does not come up in near future. The gathering comprised of Tiwas and other indigenous people of the state. I request that such insults to the lakhs of people attending our meetings does not come up again.”

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It may be mentioned here that the BJP leaders of Assam have been carrying out peace rallies across Assam. The aim is to garner support for the amended Citizenship Act and promote development in the state. However, some view it as an effort to quell the ongoing protests against the CAA. Recently, the BJP had held a similar peace rally in Jagiroad, where lakhs of people had reportedly assembled. There had been reports that the people were paid in exchange of attending the meeting and that they brought the people from remote areas of Assam.

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CEM of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), while addressing the press in Guwahati along with Hazarika, clarified that around 100 buses with people were certainly brought in to the BJP peace rally in Jagiroad, but that was because the people of Karbi Anglong are also a part of Assam. He said, “Yes, it is true that around 100 buses with people loaded were brought to Jagiroad. We brought them because the Roha and Jagiroad constituencies that are a part of Karbi Anglong’s Duar-Amla and Amri constituencies. So, they came to the BJP rally held in Jagiroad. People of these two constituencies keep travelling to Jagiroad because of the markets.”

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“Are people offended that the people of Karbi Anglong participated in the rally?” questioned Ronghang, He further said, “We are a part of Assam. I, as a Karbi, brought my people to attend the BJP meeting.”

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