Assam Jatiya Parishad chief warns of potential Bangladeshi influx amidst political unrest

Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) Chief Lurinjyoti Gogoi expressed grave concerns on Thursday about the possibility of an influx of Bangladeshi nationals into Assam amidst the ongoing political turmoil in Bangladesh. Gogoi's warnings come as tensions rise in the neighboring country, potentially driving people across the porous border into Assam.

Recalling the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in 2019, Gogoi emphasized that he and other student leaders had previously cautioned against illegal entries from Bangladesh. "Given the current situation in Bangladesh, thousands of people are waiting to enter Assam. It's not just Hindus, but Muslims as well. Especially those associated with the Hasina group are facing persecution. The central government must take strict action to ensure that not a single Bangladeshi enters Assam. The state can no longer bear the burden of illegal Bangladeshis who arrived after 1971," Gogoi said during a media interaction.

Gogoi also took aim at Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his handling of the recent flood crisis in Guwahati. He accused Sarma of deflecting responsibility by targeting minority communities. Specifically, Gogoi alleged that the Chief Minister blamed the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), owned by a member of a minority community, for the floods. "He [Chief Minister Sarma] wants to scapegoat the minority community in the name of the flood crisis," Gogoi stated, adding that Sarma also accused the owner of Delhi Public School (DPS) of contributing to the floods due to a business conflict.

In a further call to action, the AJP leader urged the Assam government to remove Assam Housing & Urban Affairs Minister Ashok Singhal from the council of ministers.