Congress, AIUDF reduced minorities to 2nd class citizens, claims Atul Bora

ALGAPUR: Assam agriculture minister and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) president Atul Bora today claimed that the Congress and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) have reduced the religious minorities in the state to a mere “vote bank of second class citizens”.

Addressing a rally at Algapur in Hailakandi district of Barak Valley, the senior leader also tried to play secular card to woo the religious and linguistic minorities of the Barak Valley towards the AGP. The Algapur constituency was represented by the AGP’s Sahidul Alam Choudhury for five terms and is being currently represented by Nizamuddin Choudhury of the AIUDF.

“The Congress has always used the minorities as vote ka maamla or vote bank since Independence. The AIUDF has also adopted a similar attitude towards the minorities and have, thus, allied. Their bonhomie was clandestine in the past but they came out to the open during the BTR elections. However, the voters are no longer gullible. They gave a big zero to the alliance in the Bodoland elections. They Congress and AIUDF) have reduced the minorities to mere second class citizens deprived of development and prosperity,” Bora alleged.

Amid the polarization of voters on religious lines in contemporary politics, Bora took the opportunity to appeal to the people of minority communities to repose faith the AGP which he claimed to be one of the secular parties in the present scenario. Promising equal rights and status to all communities, he claimed the AGP would be keen to ensure development of all alike across both Brahmaputra and Barak valleys.

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The AGP is an ally with the BJP in the state government and is expecting to continue with the alliance in the ensuing Assembly elections in April although there has been no confirmation yet from the BJP that ditched its state government ally Bodoland People’s Front in the BTR elections recently.

The appeal came at a time when the Barak Valley has got at least two newly floated political parties -- Barak Democratic Front (BDF) and Barak Ekta Party (BEP) – who have been actively garnering support of the people of the three districts. Besides, the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti leader Akhil Gogoi-led Raijor Dal and the former All Assam Students’ Union general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi-led Assam Jatiya Parishad have also been making inroads to the minority pockets playing the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act card.

Taking at the dig at the Congress-AIUDF alliance, Bora said: “The Congress has been infected by a virus which more dangerous than coronavirus. It is that of Badruddin Ajmal’s AIUDF. Albeit all spiritual healings of Ajmal, the Congress is showing no sign of recovery from the infection. Sensing a bleak future with the alliance many senior leaders of the Congress are deserting the party and joining others. Ajmal is also aware of it and has been shedding tears to keep the grand old party trapped emotionally.”

Senior Congress leader and Golaghat MLA Ajanta Neog and Lakhipur MLA Rajdeep Goala recently switched loyalty to the BJP and there have been speculations that a few more senior party leaders might defect to the saffron side.

Bora further took a jibe at Algapur MLA Nizamuddin Choudhury stating: “Algapur should make it a point to come out of the clutch AIUDF because the constituency witnessed no development over the past four and half years except the progress of only the MLA.”

Bora and other AGP leaders who accompanied him to the rally also led a motorcycle rally in the constituency.

Like any other political meeting over the past few months, COVID protocols were once again thrown to the wind.

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