AJP Slams Amit Shah, Calls BJP’s 10 Years in Assam a Decade of Betrayal

The Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led government ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s scheduled visit to the state, accusing the party of betraying Assam with a decade of unfulfilled promises.

At a press conference in Guwahati, AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi and general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan alleged that the BJP has repeatedly misled the people of Assam with lofty rhetoric and hollow assurances. “Whenever central leaders visit, they only deliver speeches to seek votes, but Assam has gained nothing in return. Assam is not a theatre stage for political drama,” Gogoi said.

The AJP leader demanded that Amit Shah present a white paper on the deportation of illegal foreigners, with clear data on how many individuals have actually been expelled. He also questioned Shah’s hesitation in accepting the Clause 6 Committee Report on constitutional safeguards for the Assamese people under the Assam Accord.

On border security, Gogoi reminded that Shah had once boasted the border would be sealed so tightly that “not even a bird could enter.” He said this promise remains unfulfilled, adding that flood-control schemes like Amrit Sarovar have failed to free Assam from its yearly deluge.

The AJP further alleged that the BJP government has been handing over tribal land to corporates such as Adani and Ambani, even as the demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities of Assam remains ignored. The party also called for independent probes into alleged scams linked to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s family and the Girgai land scam.

Gogoi further announced that the AJP would soon file a case against Syeda Hamid, questioning the state government’s silence and accusing the Chief Minister of showing “undue affection” towards her despite allegations.

The AJP warned that protests would intensify until Assam’s key national issues — illegal immigration, NRC finalisation, flood control, and indigenous rights — are resolved.

Key Questions Posed by AJP

• Clause 6 of the Assam Accord: Shah assured in Parliament in 2019 that the Justice (Retd.) Biplab Kumar Sharma Committee Report would be implemented in full. Why has this assurance not been acted upon?

• Illegal Immigration: Narendra Modi, before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, vowed that all illegal Bangladeshi migrants would leave India after May 16, 2014. Since the Home Ministry is directly responsible, has this promise been fulfilled?

• Flood Solution Plan: Ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections, Shah pledged in Guwahati’s Khanapara that satellite technology would be deployed to divert Brahmaputra waters into ponds and permanently end Assam’s floods within five years. What is the status of this much-hyped project?

• Border Sealing: In 2019, during a rally in Morigaon, Shah claimed the India-Bangladesh border would be sealed so tightly that “not even a bird could enter.” Yet, during a visit to Mankachar in August 2024, AJP leaders found the border still porous. Why has this promise been repeatedly broken?

• NRC Completion: The NRC was prepared at a cost of ₹1,602 crore with the labour of over 50,000 government employees, yet it has been left incomplete. Why were rejection slips not issued? Why was no review mechanism set up? Why has the final notification not been published? And why was former NRC coordinator Prateek Hajela allowed to leave despite serious findings against him?

• ST Status to Six Communities: The BJP promised in both 2016 and 2019 that six communities would be granted Scheduled Tribe status. When will this be delivered?

Additional Questions

• Why has the BJP failed to raise tea workers’ daily wages to ₹351 as promised in its 2016 manifesto?

• Will the Centre order probes into alleged corruption involving Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, his family, and close associates?

• Will there be an inquiry into the “Gir Cow scam,” which falls under Shah’s Ministry of Cooperation?

• Will the Centre prevent the transfer of indigenous and tribal land to corporate houses, given that nearly 49,500 bighas of the 55,000 bighas under proposed acquisition belong to such communities?

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