bdnews24.com :
Assam’s ruling Congress party has now developed cold feet over contentious Land Boundary Agreement.
Ironically, BJP which was initially opposed to the agreement to swap land with Bangladesh changed its stand after coming to power at the Centre.
But sensing that its wholehearted support for the bill could be counterproductive for the party, ahead of 2016 assembly elections, the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre has now decided to keep Assam out of the purview of the agreement.
Surprisingly, the Congress now emerged as the principal opposition to the agreement, which the party led UPA government had signed in 2011.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has recently stated that the state government cannot support the agreement until Bangladesh returns the land to Assam currently under its occupation.
Significantly Gogoi was also present with then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when the agreement was signed in Dhaka.
After his return from Bangladesh, he had also expressed his satisfaction over the agreement.
But now he is retracting from his earlier stand.
On being questioned about the LBA, the chief minister sought to know about the steps being taken by the Narendra Modi government to bring back Assam’s land under Bangladesh’s occupation.
He also questioned BJP’s initial opposition to the land deal.
According to the Chief Minister the BJP was trying to rush through with the agreement keeping in mind the Assembly elections next year.
The party was doing that to woo BJP voters, he said.
BJP on the other hand also accused the chief minister and the Congress party of indulging in vote-bank politics.
A large section of the population is strongly opposed to the LBA.
Assam’s ruling Congress party has now developed cold feet over contentious Land Boundary Agreement.
Ironically, BJP which was initially opposed to the agreement to swap land with Bangladesh changed its stand after coming to power at the Centre.
But sensing that its wholehearted support for the bill could be counterproductive for the party, ahead of 2016 assembly elections, the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre has now decided to keep Assam out of the purview of the agreement.
Surprisingly, the Congress now emerged as the principal opposition to the agreement, which the party led UPA government had signed in 2011.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has recently stated that the state government cannot support the agreement until Bangladesh returns the land to Assam currently under its occupation.
Significantly Gogoi was also present with then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when the agreement was signed in Dhaka.
After his return from Bangladesh, he had also expressed his satisfaction over the agreement.
But now he is retracting from his earlier stand.
On being questioned about the LBA, the chief minister sought to know about the steps being taken by the Narendra Modi government to bring back Assam’s land under Bangladesh’s occupation.
He also questioned BJP’s initial opposition to the land deal.
According to the Chief Minister the BJP was trying to rush through with the agreement keeping in mind the Assembly elections next year.
The party was doing that to woo BJP voters, he said.
BJP on the other hand also accused the chief minister and the Congress party of indulging in vote-bank politics.
A large section of the population is strongly opposed to the LBA.
