BJP’s Padma Hazarika differs from party on Citizenship Bill

Guwahati, 14 January 2019:

At a time when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leaving no stone unturned to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 at any cost in Assam, their MLA from Sootea has come out in open and has opposed the Bill.

The former Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leader said that there is no place for immigrants in Assam after 24 March 1971, which is likely to not go well with his seniors from the party.

Padma Hazarika also wholeheartedly supported the deportation of all illegal immigrants who entered Assam post 1971. He also asserted that the very interest and identity of indigenous people of Assam must be protected at any cost.

Commenting on the Assam Accord agreement and calling himself an agitator, Hazarika said ‘I have martyrs blood.I want the Assam Accord to be fulfilled instead of the Citizenship Bill”.

Taking a dig at Pradip Dutta Roy, President of All Cachar-Karimganj-Hailakandi Students’ Association (ACKHSA), Hazarika condemned his recent provocative remarks against Assamese students of Assam University.

Roy, after much flak and criticism for his provocative statement, was expelled by BJP from its party membership on Sunday.