Assam: Aasu takes out 'funeral processions' of Congress

Guwahati: The All Assam Students’ Union (Aasu) today took out ‘funeral processions’ of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and APCC president Bhubanswar Kalita to protest the nomination of Sanjay Sinh, a Lok Sabha member of Uttar Pradesh, as Congress candidate for Rajya Sabha seat from Assam. As a mark of protest AASU across the state took out the ‘funeral procession’ with the ‘bodies’ of the four Congress leaders and then bade ‘farewell’ to them in river Brahmaputra, they said.[caption id=“attachment_1367193” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Congress Sanjay Singh, accompanied by wife Amita Singh, files nomination for upcoming Rajya Sabha polls in presence of Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi at Legislative Assembly in Guwahati on Tuesday. PTI[/caption] As part of the backlash against the nomination of the Lok Sabha member from Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh, the AASU, which spearheaded the six-year-long anti-foreigners Assam Agitation in the 80’s, also burnt the Congress leaders’ effigies on Wednesday. The nomination has sparked protests across the state with various civil organisations and political parties opposing Sinh’s candidature. Farmers’ organisation Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, Aasu, Brihattar Asomiya Yuba Morcha, the Biswajit Ray faction of All Koch-Rajbongshi Student Union (AKRSU), among others have decried Sinh’s nomination terming it as a betrayed of the people of Aassam by not selecting a local person as an outsider cannot solve the state’s problems. KMSS activists held a demonstration yesterday in a luxury hotel where Sinh is staying and shouted slogans for him to go back from the state and that he will not be acceptable to the people of the state. Strongly criticising the Congress, All Assam Students’ Union’s adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya claimed, “Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Tarun Gogoi and Kalita have insulted the people of Assam by imposing Sanjay Sinh who has no connection with the state.” The Brihattar Asomiya Yuba Morcha in protest also demonstrated before the Assembly here and burnt effigies of Sinh, Gogoi and Kalita’s in Tinsukia district. Opposing Sinh’nomination, AKRSU president Biswajit Ray termed it as “unfortunate and we are ashamed of it. Gogoi by accepting Sinh’s candidature has proved that he has no responsibility towards the ethnic communities”. PTI