Black flag protest in Upper Assam against PM visit to distribute 'land pattas'

SIVASAGAR: The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chhatra Parishad (AJYCP) and Axomia Juba Mancha -- two prominent regional organizations of Assam -- staged a black flag protest in front of the BJP office in Sapekhuti, Charaideo district, to oppose Prime Minister Narendra Modis's visit to Assam.

The black flag protest was held amid growing resentment over the BJP's various policies, such as the "foreigner-friendly" Citizenship Amendment Act, the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) 2020, and the Centre's controversial farm laws.

"Modi comes here every year before the elections to lie to the people. Therefore, we have staged a protest. The BJP government must roll back the CAA, or we will intensify the protest," stated a protester.

Modi's visit in February of 2019 -- amid protests against the 'CAA' -- saw the raising of black flags and burning of effigies by agitators over the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

PM Modi's visit to the state to hand over land pattas to over 1 lakh Assamese people has drawn flak from many opposition political parties and regional organizations over his "failure" to fulfill pre-election promises.

Torch rallies against the 'CAA' were held at several places across Assam on Friday evening by the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and several indigenous organizations ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit.

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"The PM made many promises after coming to power in 2014; how many of them have been fulfilled? He should officially declare how many Bangladeshis he has deported," Sankar Jyoti Baruah, the General Secretary of the AASU, told Inside Northeast.

Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) General Secretary Jagadish Bhuyan has termed Modi's visit as an "election gimmick."

"Where have you ever seen the head of a country handing over land documents? This is a pure election gimmick, if ever there was one. The convenient timing of the visit shows that it is meant to lure voters and increase the BJP vote bank," Bhuyan told us.

Modi has arrived in Sivasagar district on Saturday to launch a special programme of the state government to distribute land 'patta' or land allotment certificates to over one lakh landless indigenous people.

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