Top Assam BJP leaders to meet Union Home Minister today amid protests

Guwahati, January 12, 2019:

A delegation of BJP leaders from Assam, which will include the ‘Jatiya Nayak’ CM Sarbananda Sonowal, Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Tourism Minister Chandan Brahma as well as Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Chief Hagrama Mohilary will meet Home Minister Rajnath Singh today.

As per reports, the team will meet the Home Minister to discuss the granting of ST status to six prominent communities of Assam. The BJP has resolved to grant ST status to the communities, but the Assam Tribal Sangha (ATS) has raised objection to this move and a bandh had been called by the body yesterday during which violence broke out between STs and ST seekers.

Assam has been embroiled in further controversy with strict opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 prompting the Centre to backtrack on its decision to implement the Bill for the time being.

It has been reported that the Home Minister is highly displeased with the turn of events in Assam, as he had not been informed that such a volatile situation could be created by an attempt to implement the Bill by the two senior-most BJP leaders in the state.