Three AGP Ministers meet Sonowal, tender resignation

Two days after breaking away from the BJP-led alliance government in Assam, the three AGP ministers on Wednesday tendered their resignation to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

"We fought against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 till the last moment. However, after meeting Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday, we were convinced the BJP is going to pass the Bill in the Lok Sabha. We met the Chief Minister and tendered our resignations," said AGP President Atul Bora after coming out of Sonowal's office at Dispur.

The three AGP Ministers including AGP President and Agricultural Minister Atul Bora, Water Resources Minister Keshab Mahanta and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Phani Bhushan Choudhury met the Chief Minister. The meeting lasted for about 25 minutes.

"We have decided to take the side of the people of Assam. Our party is built at the cost of 855 martyrs... We cannot accept the Bill particularly when the entire state is witnessing mass protests against it," said Bora.

"We entered into an alliance with the BJP, BPF and some other parties ahead of the 2016 polls. Today we are coming out of it for the sake of the state and its people," Bora added.

Meanwhile, the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 continued to rock the state on Wednesday.

While hundreds of people belonging to several groups took out a protest demonstration in front of the Assam Secretariat at Dispur, several other organisations took out a candle light march in the city on Wednesday evening.

The protests in front of the Secretariat turned little violent as the agitators tried to break the police barricades and enter the complex. A few agitators were injured in scuffles with the security personnel.

The agitators were whisked away and detained in police stations but released later.

A group of All Assam Students Union (AASU) also protested on Wednesday at Nagaon district of Central Assam by showing black flags to Assam BJP President Ranjit Kumar Dass who had gone to address a party meeting.

Popular Assamese singer and youth icon Zubeen Garg has written an open letter to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal urging him not to support the Bill.

--IANS

ah/mr