Disgruntled AGP worker stages 'lock-in' protest

GUWAHATI: Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) workers here were confined to their office for about half an hour on Thursday morning when a disgruntled grass roots party worker from Jorhat locked the gate of the office premises from outside.

Montu Dutta, in his 40s, was disturbed over speculation that his party, AGP, may renew ties with BJP before the Lok Sabha election. While it seems like a distant possibility at the moment, Dutta was miffed.

"After BJP stabbed us in the back by introducing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, the people of Assam are left with no choice but AGP. If AGP also deserts us and takes side with BJP, the people will feel betrayed. AGP's grass roots workers are restless and will be more than a little disappointed if it decides to return to BJP," Dutta said.

Around 10am on Thursday, he got to the AGP office at Ambari here with a lock and shut the gates. AGP office-bearers were at work inside the building then. After half an hour of arbitration, Dutta relented when AGP members promised to take up his grievances with party heads.

In January, AGP had walked out of its partnership with ruling BJP after the Union cabinet made it clear it intended to push the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill through Parliament. The bill, which proposed citizenship for non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, would go against the regionalist agenda the AGP has built its political capital on for more than three decades now.

AGP spokesperson Manoj Saikia denied Dutta was associated with the party and, instead, said such anger is an evidence of the "attachment" people have with it.

"People of Assam have faith in AGP. Such anger shows people's support and emotional connect with the party, We want to assure people that we will act only with the indigenous people's interests in mind," Saikia said.

The party is yet to take a call on any alliance formation for the Lok Sabha election. "We have been seeking feedback from our party members. We have not yet decided if we want to ally with any party," AGP president Atul Bora said.

Congress has been courting AGP since its breakup with BJP, with former CM Tarun Gogoi also backing the idea. Sources within the party indicated that it has been looking for partners backing the implementation of the 1985 Assam Accord.