HT Bureau
DIPHU, April 11: The Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC), a regional party based in Karbi Anglong has kicked off its poll campaign to woo voters for the ensuing second phase of Parliamentary election in Assam on April 26.
The party general secretary and candidate for 6– Diphu (ST) Parliamentary Constituency, Jotson Bey in a poll meeting held at ASDC central committee office here on Thursday, blamed All Party Hills Leaders Conference (APHLC) for not being able to place a common candidate to defeat the ruling BJP.
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“A discussion was held between ASDC, Congress and APHLC to place a common candidate from 6– Diphu (ST) Parliamentary Constituency as we need a collective effort to defeat the ruling BJP. But it was the APHLC President JI Kathar who did not agree to it and went all by himself to contest the election,” Bey said.
Blaming the APHLC and its president JI Kathar further, Bey claimed that people is being mislead by the propaganda that the BJP is motivating the ASDC to contest the polls so that the BJP wins.
“JI Kathar and his party say that Jotson Bey is on good terms with the chief minister of Assam and has received Rs 10 crore for the election. The APHLC is giving out biased information to people. I want to ask Kathar why he did not agree for a consensus candidate as proposed by ASDC and went on to contest the election. We have to say that it is Kathar and his party that is directly or indirectly helping the BJP win the election.”
Bey claimed that in 1996, the Congress and APHLC had purportedly deceived the Karbi community regarding the autonomous state issue. He noted that in 1969, the Union government had called upon APHLC leaders to deliberate on the establishment of the state of Meghalaya. However, the essence of those discussions was never conveyed to the leaders of the Karbi and Dimasa communities, amounting to a betrayal by the APHLC. According to Bey, this oversight resulted in a lost golden opportunity for these communities.
On calling the ASDC a ‘dead horse’ by APHLS, Bey replied that ASDC is still an active political party since 1989 and has been contesting elections.
“It is JI Kathar’s APHLC that is a dead horse. The APHLC ceased to exist during the hill state movement in 1969, but now Kathar has raised that dead horse again,” he concluded.
Attacking the Congress, Bey opined that it was the Congress that has brought Hindi speaking community into Karbi Anglong. The ASDC demanded the eviction of illegal settlers in Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) and Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) land in Kheroni, West Karbi Anglong, but the present BJP government is not doing it.
He criticise the earlier MPs and MLAs for not speaking in the Parliament or in State Assembly on burning issues of Karbi Anglong.
Meanwhile, the party has released its election manifesto for the ensuing second phase of Parliamentary election in Assam on April 26 and it has fielded its general secretary and former chief executive member (CEM) of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) Jotson Bey as its party candidate.
In the manifesto, demand of an autonomous state is on its top agenda and the party has also given emphasis for protection of inter-district and inter-state boundaries of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao, to fight for the cause of indigenous people and giving equal rights and status to women.
