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AGP Leaves BJP Government In Assam Over Differences On Citizenship Bill
AGP President Atul Bora (R) (Photo by Rajib Jyoti Sarma/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), BJP’s ally in Assam, has decided to break ties with the Central party over the Citizenship Bill, reports News18.
Prafulla Mahanta, the former Assam CM, said the party was walking out of the government over the controversial issue.
The AGP has said that the Citizenship Bill would make the Assam Accord “meaningless”. AGP president Atul Bora had written to BJP chief Amit Shah saying, “We decided on an alliance with the BJP based on an understanding of the Assam Accord and other issues. The Government of India, by introducing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 in Parliament, has violated the understanding.”
The AGP ( formed after the Assam Accord), and incumbent CM Sarbananda Sonowal have opposed the Bill vehemently. Many outfits have called for a bandh on 8 January to protest against the Bill.
Even before the Citizenship Bill, the AGP has been under pressure to break ties with BJP. In the Assam Assembly, which has 126 seats, BJP has 60 with its allies AGP-14 and BPF-12). BPF is Bodoland People’s Front.
Even though the AGP is pulling out of the government, it doesn’t have a threat, but the repercussions will be seen in Upper Assam during the Lok Sabha polls, where the Assamese identity is the most significant factor.
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