AGP plea to Modi on land-swap deal

Atul Bora

Guwahati, May 29: The AGP today appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to scrap the land-swap deal signed between India and Bangladesh.

Addressing a news conference here today, AGP working president Atul Bora said the party hoped that the Narendra Modi government would cancel the deal, which envisages handing over of Assam’s land to Bangladesh.

The land-swap deal was signed between India and Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2011 in the presence of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi.

The AGP and the state unit of the BJP had opposed the deal.

On May 7 last year, two AGP MPs had snatched a copy of the bill, which was introduced in Parliament to ratify the land deal, from external affairs minister Salman Khurshid.

The BJP had also called an all-Assam general strike on December 20 last year, in protest against the land-swap deal.

“During his election campaign, Narendra Modi said his government will solve the problems faced by the Northeast, including Assam, on a priority basis. Now it’s time for him to keep his promise,” Bora said.

The AGP leader said they also expect the new BJP-led government to solve other major problems of the state such as flood and erosion, big dams, unemployment, Scheduled Tribe status for six ethnic communities, deportation of illegal migrants, NRC update and the protection of Majuli island, among others.

The regional party also congratulated the two BJP MPs from the Northeast, Sarbananda Sonowal and Kiren Rijiju, for becoming ministers in the Modi government.

“During his election rallies, Modi said if the BJP comes to power then all illegal migrants would be sent packing. Therefore, we hope that he will take necessary steps for implementation of the Assam Accord, construction of the barbed-wire fencing along the border with Bangladesh and also sign a treaty with the neighbouring country to send the illegal migrants back,” Bora said.

He attacked the Congress government in the state saying development has come to a standstill in the state, as the leaders of the ruling party are busy in dissident activities.

“Our aim will be to oust the Congress from power in 2016,” he said.