Citizenship Amendment Act opens up Cracks in AGP Party

Guwahati, December 17, 2019:

Amid rumblings of a rift between two factions of the AGP, Assam’s biggest regional party's leaders are at each other's throats over the contentious issue of the Citizenship Amendment Act.

The old brigade of the AGP, consisting of veterans such as Prafulla Mahanta, Brindaban Goswami, and Pabindra Deka – who have been staunchly opposed to the Citizenship Amendment Act, has called upon the current leadership to take strict action against Birendra Prasad Baishya.

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The Rajya Sabha MP Baishya has come under fire for allegedly going against the core principles of the General Committee, by voting in favour of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill.

It has been suggested that during an upcoming party meeting on 24 December, the trio will raise the allegations against the MP, and seek strict action against him.

Notably, ever since the trio raised the allegations against Baishya, other party leaders have also come out in opposition to the MP.

Meanwhile, the public of Assam has condemned the party leadership – including President Atul Bora – for staying mum on the issue as the contentious Bill sailed through both Parliamentary tests with an overwhelming majority of votes in its favour.

Now, after the severe backlash from the public, the AGP President Atul Bora has stated that the party will move the Supreme Court over the C(A)A. However, Bora’s statement was met with mockery by the Vice-President Pabindra Deka, who says: “How can a party that voted in favour of the C(A)B, move the Supreme Court against it?”, adding, “the party has been opposing the Bill since 2016”. Deka further added that the party will never accept the Act at any cost, as it will open the doors to 20 lakh illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to receive all rights that can be availed by Indian citizens.

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Responding to Bora’s newly-changed stance regarding the contentious issue, former CM Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has said: “The party is opposed to the Bill at every level. We cannot let this party come to a premature end, and we cannot let 4-5 people let us down. Bora is changing his tune regarding the Act fearing public backlash. If he was genuinely opposed to the Bill, he would not have allowed for a vote in its favour”, adding that this has caused a “great loss” to the Bill.

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