While the people of Assam continue to protest against the CAA, 2019, BJP leader and Sootea MLA Padma Hazarika said he is ready to resign if the people of his constituency want.
Padma Hazarika, who was a former leader Asof Allthe sam Students’ Union (AASU) and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in October 2015.
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In the 2016 Assembly elections, Hazarika won the polls on BJP ticket from the Sootea constituency.
Hazarika was first elected to the Assam Legislative Assembly on an AGP ticket in 1996 followed by 2006 and 2011 from Sootea constituency.
Before joining the BJP, Hazarika said he had taken the decision to join the saffron party as per the wishes of his supporters in the constituency.
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Also read: Assam govt attempts to douse anti-CAA protests
According to reports, anti-CAA protestors also staged protests in front of his home in Sootea.
The Act seeks to grant Indian citizenship to persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have migrated to India after facing persecution on grounds of religion in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh if they fulfil conditions for grant of citizenship.
Hazarika tweeted: “If people of my constituency unitedly say that I should resign, I will immediately resign.”
If people of my constituency unitedly say that I should resign,I will immediately resign.On Dec 6,I have myself got 500 houses of suspected illegal Bangladeshis evicted on my own initiative and chased them away. Is that an anti-community work I have done? @narendramodi @AmitShah
— Padma Hazarika (@padma_hazarika) December 21, 2019
The BJP MLA, who was one of the leaders of the Assam Agitation that lasted for six years from 1979 to 1985 demanding detection and deportation of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, has drawn flak for supporting the Act.
However, to defend himself, Hazarika tweeted: “On Dec 6, I have myself got 500 houses of suspected illegal Bangladeshis evicted on my own initiative and chased them away. Is that an anti-community work I have done?”
In another tweet, Hazarika said they will accept the verdict of the Supreme Court regarding the CAA.
The apex court will hear the pleas filed in it opposing the CAA, 2019 in mid-January next.
“On CAA, we will accept whatever the court says,” said Hazarika.
Hazarika along with a host of BJP MLAs met Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal recently and apprised the latter of the views of the people of their respective constituencies regarding the CAA.
Hazarika attended the Assam BJP Legislature Party meeting at the Brahmaputra State Guest House in presence of Sonowal and state party chief Ranjeet Kumar Dass on Saturday.
Regarding the meeting, Hazarika tweeted: “Assamese people are scared today. So we urged the CM to take powerful steps towards the protection of our community.”