The BJP’s booth-level leaders cheered and clapped as party leaders assured them that Assam had nothing to worry about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), but a little prodding revealed the impact the ongoing anti-CAA protest is having on most of them.

Amid protests in Assam against CAA, the BJP held a massive pro-CAA booth-level workers’ conclave at Khanapara field here on Saturday. The rally was attended by BJP’s national working president J.P. Nadda and national general secretary Ram Madhav, among others.

The BJP workers who reached the ground said it was a much-needed programme to rejuvenate them when they were facing the wrath of the anti-CAA organisations.

“Many party workers have been receiving threats from the anti-CAA organisations. We are being harassed both mentally and physically. This rally will help to inspire our workers,” Gautam Das, a BJP worker from Kamrup, told this correspondent when asked about the ground situation. Echoing Das, Bikram Deka, a BJP worker from Nagaon, said, “While our leaders were shown black flags, some of us were treated as outcasts by our own villagers who believe that CAA is wrong. Differences have emerged between friends and neighbours at the grassroots.”

Many BJP legislators and ministers were shown black flags by anti-CAA protesters in the state.

The protesters, on the other hand, alleged that they were being targeted by the pro-CAA parties.

On Thursday, unidentified men allegedly attacked some anti-CAA protesters in in Golaghat district and a former leader of AASU, which spearheads the movement, in Udalguri district.

Sabita Barman, a BJP booth-level worker from Bongaigaon, said, “From today, we are going to reach out to everyone and tell them the truth about the law. We are sure that people will understand.”

Handouts on CAA were also distributed among BJP workers.

It is not only the booth-level BJP leaders who have been impacted. MLAs also shared their concern at a legislature party meeting held here last month. Chaired by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the MLAs conveyed how they were being targeted by those opposed to CAA and that the government needed to reach out to the people and allay their misgivings before things swing out of control.

BJP Assam unit president Ranjeet Kumar Dass, said, “The BJP will counter the misinformation campaign over CAA. Over 40 lakh BJP workers in the state are going to clear misconceptions on the Act through a door-to-door campaign.”