A sit-in protest staged by the 16-party United Opposition Forum in Assam hours before Narendra Modi’s visit to the Kaziranga National Park on Friday evening reminded the Prime Minister of his 2014 poll promise about sending Bangladeshi infiltrators packing.

Leaders at the sit-in protest held at Kaliabor, about 35km from the police guest house where Modi would spend the night at the Kaziranga National Park, vowed to carry on their fight to ensure the “unconstitutional” CAA is not imposed in Assam.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi went to the extent of asserting that the contentious central law would be scrapped in the first cabinet meeting of the INDIA bloc after the 2024 general elections, suggesting the Opposition would win the upcoming polls.

Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi, one of the faces of the anti-CAA movement as the AASU general secretary in 2019, and Assam PCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah, flagged Modi’s pre-poll 2014 promise.

“You said illegal Bangladeshis would be sent packing with their bag after May 16, 2014, but instead you imposed the CAA allowing illegal foreigners to enter Assam from Bangladesh. You have opened the gate for their entry,” Gogoi said, adding that the CAA
is being used as a “polarising tool whenever there is an election”.

The AJP president, like other speakers, before and after him, also urged all sections of the society in Assam to get ready to protest to secure their rights and future because the 2024 elections could be their “last test, their last collective fight” to secure the state’s future which stands “threatened” because of the Centre’s move to implement the CAA in the state.

Assam PCC president Borah reminded the BJP-led government at the Centre and in the state of the words of legendary Ahom general Lachit Barphukan after he beheaded his maternal uncle for not discharging his duty during the Battle of Saraighat in 1671 that the Ahoms fought against the mighty Mughals and won.

Barphukan had said: “Dexot koi Mumai dangor nohoi. (My maternal uncle is not precious than my country).” Borah said: “Dexot ke BJP dangor nohoi, Dexot ke beneficiary schemes dangar nohoi (BJP is not greater than the country. Beneficiary schemes are not greater than the country). He was attacking the BJP for using beneficiary schemes to “win” votes.

Borah invoked the revered Barphukan because Modi will unveil a 125-foot statue of Barphukan, including the pedestal in Jorhat on Saturday afternoon. In between, Modi will go on a safari in KNP and then fly to Arunachal Pradesh to inaugurate a slew of projects.