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Assembly polls: BJP Chief Nadda silent on CAA in Assam's Bengali heartland, 'goofup' on Scheduled Tribe status

6 communities have been demanding ST status for long and BJP has faced criticism for its alleged failure to fulfil the same despite its promise before 2016 Assembly polls
Last Updated 11 January 2021, 13:50 IST

In what baffled the party workers, BJP president JP Nadda on Monday remained silent on Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in Barak Valley, Assam's Bengali heartland and made a wrong claim over according to Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six more ethnic communities.

Nadda did not utter a word on CAA during his speech at the Bijoy Sankalp rally at Silchar, the district headquarters of Cachar district, where Bengali Hindus are in majority and citizenship through the CAA to those who failed to make it to the NRC is a strong demand. Nadda is on a two-day visit to Assam in order to kick-off the party's campaign for the Assembly elections slated in April-May.

The CAA is a strong point for BJP in Barak Valley but has invited ire of many in the Assamese-majority Brahmaputra Valley. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who spoke before Nadda, however, promised that BJP would provide protection to the Hindu Bengalis in the state.

Instead of talking about the CAA, Nadda harped on the identity politics by promising that the saffron party was committed to protect culture, language and identity of the Assamese people. "BJP has always stood up for protecting Assam's unique culture, language and identity and we will continue to do so," Nadda said while addressing the rally.

Nadda exuded confidence that BJP and its allies would form the government again in Assam by winning more than 100 seats in the next Assembly polls due to the development works done since 2014. The state has 126 Assembly seats. BJP and its allies stormed into power in Assam for the first time in 2016.

A BJP leader in Silchar, who did not wish to be named, told DH that Nadda's silence in CAA baffled the party workers. "We hoped for a strong message from our president on the CAA. We are no doubt a bit surprised. But that will not hamper the party as people of Barak Valley has always been with BJP for protecting the citizenship right of the Hindu Bengalis," he said.

Congress spokesperson in Assam, Rituparna Konwar said Nadda was silent on CAA in order to avoid the repercation in the Brahmaputra Valley. "Assamese people in the Brahmaputra Valley are already angry with BJP over the CAA. So Nadda remained silent in order avoid the negative impact in the Brahmaputra Valley. They will silently implement the CAA after the elections," Konwar said.

"False claim" on ST status:

Nadda put the party workers in an embarrassment when he claimed that BJP government at the Centre accorded Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six ethnic more ethnic communities even as the same has not been fulfilled yet. "Congress party did not have the courage to accord ST status to six communities but we have done it. Be it the Ahoms, Moran, Motok, Chutia, Kokch Rajbongshi and the tea tribes, we have given the ST status without affecting the existing ST communities," Nadda claimed.

The six communities have been demanding ST status for long and BJP has faced criticism for its alleged failure to fulfil the same despite its promise before 2016 Assembly polls.

Congress spokesperson, Rituparan Konwar said, "It is unfortunate to see that the top leader of the ruling party made such a false claim. This is unfortunate and shameful."

Nadda's claim also angered the communities demanding the ST status. "It is unfortunate to see that a top leader like Nadda is so uninformed that the six communities has not yet been given the ST status despite the promise by BJP in 2016. The BJP failed to fulfil the promise in the past five years and they are now making a false claim," said Deben Orang, general secretary of All Adivasi Students' Association of Assam. Adivasis or tea garden communities in Assam are one of the six communities demanding ST status for long.

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(Published 11 January 2021, 13:50 IST)

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