GUWAHATI: Challenging the BJP-led state government over the 23rd October Assam Bandh, KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi went full ballistics against the chief minister and questioned the role of the government over the Citizenship Amendment Bill (2016).
“This bandh is the need of the hour to protect the identity of the Assamese community. We will not listen to the government, no matter how much they try to stop us. The order that the government has issued to interfere with the bandh, is 'Hitler's order',” said Akhil Gogoi.
The farmer leader even went to the extent that he would bear all the cost of the loss caused by the bandh on 23rd October.
"I will bear the cost of tomorrow's loss. But will the BJP government bear the cost of loss of Assamese identity? KMSS doesn't need permission of BJP or RSS to call for any bandh,” said Gogoi.
The KMSS leader went on hitting the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and termed him as someone who was turning into an enemy of Assam's people (Gana Xatru) and was run by Delhi and Nagpur.
“The people of Assam will witness a bandh like never before, and I challenge Sonowal to stop this if he can. We are the indigenous people of Assam and are not afraid of Sonowal's useless threats. It's sad that Sarbananda Sonowal, who once took part in Assam Movement for the people of the state, is today interfering when we are protesting for the identity of our own people,” said Gogoi.
“This govt has become like Hiteshwar Saikia's government, which threatens people to get its work done,” compared Gogoi.
The status of the bandh would be decided by the steps taken by the government and the farmers’ leader was bent on putting all the blame on the government if anything went wrong.
“If the government supports, it will be a peaceful movement. For any sort of violence, only the government will be responsible. If any government threatens or stop us from fighting for the rights of the people, we have the power to take such government and their warnings and throw it in the Brahmaputra, and if required, we will do this ten times,” thundered Gogoi.
Taking a stand on the question of sole Assamese identity, Gogoi cleared that the bandh was not targeted against any community and was only for the protection of the Assamese and Assam.
On the other hand, BJP MP Bijoya Chakraborty had this to say, “We will never support Assam bandh. People who are calling for such bandhs, are only hampering the development of the state.
