Ram Madhav appeals to AGP to return to BJP-led alliance

Senior BJP leader Ram Madhav on Thursday appealed to the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leaders to return to the BJP-led alliance.

The regional political party, which contested the 2016 assembly polls along with BJP and BPF, had snapped ties with the saffron party on January 7 after differences cropped up with the saffron party over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

The three ministers of the AGP tendered their resignations to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on January 10. The Chief Minister's Office is however, yet to forward the resignations to Assam Governor.

"We have contested the polls 2016 as an alliance, so I appeal to them to come back to the alliance. There are concerns over the Bill, but we can allay the fears by talking to them. This is perhaps the reason why Assam Chief Minister is yet to forward their resignation to the Governor," said Ram Madhav, who was in Guwahati on Thursday.

Ram Madhav's statement assumes significance as Assam and some other states in the North-East have been witnessing protests over the Citizenship Bill. Some of the BJP legislators of Assam are unhappy as four BJP MLAs and Speaker of the Assam assembly Hitendra Nath Goswami have expressed their apprehensions over the Bill.

"We are talking to our allies in the North-East and will ensure that the Bill does not dilute indigenous people's identity," said Madhav.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conard Sangma is expected to lead a delegation from the state to New Delhi and meet Prime Narendra Modi and Home minister Rajnath Singh and express state's reservations on the Bill.

Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga has already met the Prime Minister and expressed peoples' objection to the Bill.

Nagaland, where BJP is a partner of the ruling coalition, has asked the Centre to review the move while Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has made it clear that the state government will not support the Bill until the Centre includes a clause to protect the indigenous people.

--IANS

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