PM terms Bodo pact 'special', says earlier attempts were done with politics on mind

Ahead of his visit to Assam to participate in celebrations of Bodo Accord signing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday termed the agreement 'special' and said whatever happened earlier regarding the issue, was done keeping politics in mind.

"Despite many efforts, the issue was unsolved for years. The Bodo Accord signed now is special because it has brought all stakeholders together and we are moving towards a more peaceful era," Prime Minister Modi said in Lok Sabha.

"It was said about the Bodo issue that it hasn't happened for the first time. We haven't also said it happened for the first time. There have been many attempts, some are still underway but whatever happened (earlier), happened keeping politics in mind," he said.

Modi's visit to Kokrajhar, Assam on Friday comes days after the Assam government signed a tripartite agreement with representatives of all factions of the banned National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in New Delhi on January 27.

It will be the first visit of Prime Minister Modi since the state witnessed anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests.

Over four lakh people from the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) districts and all over Assam are expected to attend the programme, a government release said.

The Bodo groups have been demanding a separate state of Bodoland for the last 50 years. The movement has resulted in extensive violence and loss of hundreds of lives over the years. The Assam government will organise a cultural programme of ethnic groups of the state to showcase the diversity of the region.

The Prime Minister will also address the gathering to hail the historic Bodo Agreement signed in January this year, by including the leading stakeholders under one framework.

He had said that the agreement is inspired by the mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, and Sabka Vishwas' and the spirit of 'Ek Bharat, Shresth Bharat'.