Prafulla Kumar Mahanta stages sit-in against CAA

Guwahati: Former chief minister and veteran AGP leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta on Monday, breaking the party line, staged a sit-in demonstration with supporters in the party at Gandhi Mandap in protest against the Citizenship Act.

Expressing opposition against the amended Act, Mr Mahanta said that India is moving in the same direction as that of “Hitler’s Nazi Germany”.

The two-time chief minister also criticised the leadership of his party — Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) — and alleged that its present leaders have “betrayed the people of Assam only for greed of power”.

He said, “India is moving in the same pattern as that of Hitler’s Nazi Germany. Unless we are careful, it will be very dangerous for us.” Mr Mahanta, who organised the protest on his birthday said that the CAA should be withdrawn.

In what has also indicated a visible crack in the party, many senior party leaders, including Brindaban Goswami, Pabindra Deka, Gunin Hazarika, also joined the protest which was against the party line of the AGP which is the part of BJP-led ruling alliance
government.