Memorial For Anti-CAA Protests In Assam If Voted To Power, Says Congress

Taking a hardened stand on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA, the Congress on Tuesday said it will build a memorial for those who died in the anti-CAA protests.

"After winning the election, we shall make a memorial for the anti-CAA people's movement that has been ongoing in Assam over the last few years. The memorial shall remember the people's struggle and sacrifices, protest songs and paintings," Pradyut Bordoloi, chairman of the Congress campaign committee said in a statement today.

Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora said the memorial will be built in Guwahati. "In the coming months, Guwahati will see a new landmark: a grand memorial in memory of the anti-CAA movement to be built by the incoming Congress government. This will be the state's message to BJP. No CAA in Assam," Mr Bora told reporters today.

The statements come two days after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said the party will respect the Assam Accord and will not implement the "botched-up CAA" if the party comes to power.

Election in Assam is due this year. The ruling BJP government led by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has launched a spirited campaign, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah making rounds of Assam and inaugurating development projects.

The CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) are sensitive issues in Assam, which borders Bangladesh.

The centre has also been making a big push for development in the north-east region including Assam.

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said Assam is the springboard of India's "Act East Policy" and for making it successful and attracting investments, there is need for all-round development of the state.

The Foreign Minister, accompanied by Japanese Ambassador to India Satoshi Suzuki, was in Guwahati to review projects assisted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency or JICA.