MP Pradyut Bordoloi blames BJP-led govt for youths joining ULFA

Guwahati: Congress MP and former minister Pradyut Bordoloi blamed the BJP-led governments at the state and the Centre for snubbing the sentiments of the indigenous youths of Assam, by forcing Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on them, which has allegedly led to the rise in youths joining the banned ULFA (Independent), claiming it to be “tip of iceberg”.

Taking to Twitter, Bordoloi tweeted on Monday, “Been repeatedly warning against your snubbing the assamese agony and plight @AmitShah @narendramodi #SarbanandaSonowal, new reports pouring in of scores of assamese teenagers now going to the jungles. Sad!!”

Squarely blaming the BJP government, Bordoloi later told EastMojo on Tuesday: “In the throes of the ‘anti-foreigner agitation’ of Assam in the early 80s, the insurgency had surfaced and hundreds of Assamese youths had taken up arms. This is what I dread and apprehend when you remain insensitive to the periphery.”

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“BJP has snubbed the people of Assam by forcing Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) on them which has put their identity at stake. The youths are frustrated and now reports are coming that around 50 youths have gone missing and likely joined Ulfa (I),” Bordoloi alleged.

Bordoloi’s allegation has come at a time when there are confirmed reports of seven youths going missing from Assam’s Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts on three different dates in January this year. The police have confirmed that one of them have joined the banned outfit.

CAA was passed in Rajya Sabha on December 11 last year following which massive violence was reported in Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts, forcing district administration to bring both the district under curfew.

Bordoloi said, “It took very painstaking efforts on the part of Tarun Gogoi government subsequently to contain the insurgency and bring back Assam to normalcy then. “However, the centre move on CAA has given a lease of life to Ulfa (I) after fresh induction of youths in the ultra-outfit has begun.”

“I had warned on the floor of the parliament that if the government continues to ignore the voice of Assamese people it will be disastrous,” he added.

When asked him whether his allegations are based on police confirmations, Bordoloi said, “Police will deny the reports of youths joining Ulfa (I)”.

EastMojo also spoke to additional deputy general of police (law and order) GP Singh and is awaiting response of Assam police on the total number of youths who have gone missing in the past one month and those who have joined ULFA-I.