Lakhimpur AASU slams CM Sonowal, condemns lathicharge on democratic protesters

LAKHIMPUR: The Lakhimpur district unit of All Assam Students' Union (AASU) vehemently condemned the issue of lathicharge by Assam Police and CRPF personnel on AASU activists at Suwalkuchi on Sunday evening while initiating torchlight rally demanding the repeal of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 and withdrawal of the Environmental Impact Assessment, 2020 Draft.

In this connection, all the regional bodies under the Lakhimpur district unit of the organization staged strong protest across the district on Monday. The AASU activists slammed Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal by burning his effigy regarding the issue. The North Lakhimpur regional body of the organization initiated the protest programme at Main Chariali of North Lakhimpur town and burnt the effigy of Chief Minister, directly accusing him for the police atrocities on democratic protesters. The protesters flayed the Chief Minister, the State Government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Assam Police Department by shouting various slogans against the incident. Attending the protest programme, AASU State executive member-cum-former Lakhimpur unit general secretary, Dhanmoni Dutta became vocal against the Chief Minister and the State Government regarding the issue

"Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has forgotten his past. During the term of Sarbananda Sonowal as the Chief Minister, the AASU activists have been facing frequent police atrocities undertaken with a view to dominate the democratic protest and to safeguard the chair of the Chief Minister. We vehemently condemn the atrocities upon democratic protesters by the police and CRPF personnel. The Chief Minister and the State Government have comprehensively failed to secure and safeguard the interest of the State and the Assamese community. A befitting reply will be given to him and his government for their failure in the upcoming assembly election," Dhanmoni Dutta stated.

On the other hand, North Lakhimpur regional unit AASU president Pranjit Gogoi and general secretary Punamjyoti Buragogohain also criticized the Chief Minister with strong terms regarding the issue.

"The Chief Minister should recall his past. He should safeguard the interests of the State instead of safeguarding and fulfilling the interests of the government at the Centre," said Pranjit Gogoi while expressing vehement resentment over the issue.