Following Assam violence, section of Congress MLAs demand snapping of ties with Bodoland Peoples' Front

A section of Congress leaders in Assam today held coalition partner Bodoland Peoples' Front (BPF) responsible for the recent violence in BTAD and urged the party leadership to snap ties with it. "The recent violence was the outcome of provocative statements made by BPF leaders following the Lok Sabha elections and may be the NDFB(S) was used by political parties to carry out the attacks," senior Congress legislator and former Minister Anjan Dutta told reporters at Sibsagar.

Violence broke out in Baksa and Kokrajhar districts after BPF leader and former Agriculture Minister Pramila Rani Brahma's alleged statement that the minorities had not voted for their candidate. "We demand the party leadership consider snapping ties with the BPF and recommend a CBI inquiry into the recent violence," said Dutta, who was flanked by two other party MLAs Debabrata Saikia and Sushanta Buragohain.
He also demanded immediate amendment of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Accord.

The Congress leader also came down heavily on alleged dissidence by a section of state ministers and legislators demanding the removal of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. "Those ministers and Parliamentary secretaries opposing the Chief Minister should immediately resign. We will not allow the removal of the Chief Minister even if Congress gets less seats in the Lok Sabha polls," he added. He also demanded the immediate dismissal of Border Development Minister Siddeque Ahmed for allegedly supporting the AIUDF openly.

He said a delegation of 27 Congress legislators would go to Delhi on May 22 and apprise the high command of the alleged dissident activities in the party's state unit.