New political party has become a necessity in Assam : Gogoi

Senior Congress leader Tarun Gogoi on Saturday said that a new political party has become a necessity in Assam to oust the ruling BJP in the state.

All parties must ensure the defeat of BJP as instead of addressing the people's demand for scrapping the Citizenship Amendment Act it has engaged in a show of strength by organising peace rallies in the state, he said.

Hitting out at the BJP-led government at the Centre, the three-time chief minister said it has brought the entire country out in the streets to protest against the CAA and caused misery to the general people.

The peace rallies by the BJP are an admission by the saffron party that under its rule peace in the state has been affected, Gogoi said.

He said the people had trusted Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal but he has become a "puppet" of the Centre.

"In his greed for power, Sonowal has back stabbed the people of the state ... The downfall of the BJP government in Assam has started and if he wants to survive, Sonowal must take steps to withdraw the Citizenship Amendment Act and prtect the indigenous people of Assam," he added.

"A new political party has become a necessity. We (Congress) are not selfishly looking after our own interests as a new political party might inflict some damage on our party as well. But we are trying to protect the interests of the people of Assam," he said.

"The BJP must go from power and all parties must ensure its defeat at the polls ... It is only if BJP is defeated in the state that we can ensure that CAA is not implemented in the state', Gogoi had said.

Gogoi had earlier too called for all sections of the people to come together and had spoken of forming a new party if the need for it is felt to oust BJP from power.

He also welcomed the Supreme Court's order for access to the internet Jammmu and Kashmir internet.

"The Supreme Court has come to the rescue of the people of the country and to safeguard constitutional provisions along with freedom of speech," he added.