Congress workers 'threatened'

Guwahati, July 25: Congress workers and leaders in Chirang district are being “threatened” to quit the national party, as its government had allegedly failed to control the riots raging for the past few days.

Chirang district president and AICC member Supriya Rani Brahma said the 25 members of the Chirangdwar constituency in the BTC had informed her that anonymous callers had asked them to quit the party because of the Congress-led government’s alleged failure to prevent the riots in the district.

“I have conveyed the development to the Assam PCC. The callers had even asked them to join the BPPF. But with additional security moving in, I am sure the situation will improve soon,” she said.

The Bodo People’s Progressive Front is one of the two regional parties active in the BTC and a key rival of the Bodoland Peoples Front, which runs the BTC.

There are over 25,000 Congress members in the BTAD with around 5,000 in Chirang district.

Congress insiders said the party has asked Brahma to prepare a list of leaders who have been threatened, along with their designations, so that they can inform the AICC.

“We have lived with threats for over three decades in Assam. We will see through this also but the question is what was BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary doing? He requested chief minister for the army’s help only yesterday, that too after a meeting with All Bodo Students’ Union, All Assam Minorities Students’ Union and our ministers yesterday. Gogoi has always helped the BTC administration, has given whatever they ask for,” an Assam PCC secretary here claimed.

The All Assam Minorities Students’ Union (AAMSU) today alleged that the “blueprint” to drive out the minority people from the BTAD was hatched by Mohilary who had once led the Bodo Liberation Tigers.

AAMSU president Abdur Rahman Ahmed told reporters that despite repeated pleas to protect the minority community and protests against abduction, extortion and killing of minorities particularly after the incidents since July 6, the government did not take any steps.

Ahmed also strongly refuted Hagrama’s allegation of the involvement of Bangladeshi nationals in the violence and added that he kept changing his own statement.

Hagrama, in a meeting in Chirang yesterday, had stated that the NDFB was involved but on reaching Kokrajhar he said it was Bangladeshi nationals, Ahmed alleged.

“In the BTAD, there is absolutely no law and order after the posting of the current superintendent of police, Jitmal Doley, who even stopped Bijni (in Chirang district) SDPO, Narayan Das, from firing at the rioters who were torching the houses of minorities. Helpless, Das resigned,” Ahmed said.