Guwahati: Protests erupted across Assam on Wednesday against the BJP's 'Vision Document' for Delhi assembly polls in which it described people from the northeastern states as "immigrants", with the ruling Congress and the opposition Asom Gana Parishad saying the statement had hurt the sentiments of the people.
Even as the BJP termed it as a "clerical error", the protests continued to rock various places of Assam.
The Congress took out a protest rally with banners and placards to the Kamrup (Metro) district deputy commissioner's office in Guwahati raising slogans "we from the North East region are Indians and not foreigners".
Referring to sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal's statement that the word "immigrants" was a "clerical error" and that it had been corrected, Congress state president Anjan Dutta said, "How can it be a clerical error. BJP has so many top leaders. They could not check the document before releasing it. BJP has been exposed".
Sonowal, who hails from Assam and had worked to get the controversial Illegal Migrants (determination by Tribunals) Act scrapped by the Supreme Court, told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting that the "immigrants" word in the document was a "clerical error and not intentional. It has been corrected".
The Krishak Mukti Sangram Parishad (KMSS) activists were seen lying down on the main road near Dighalipukhuri here to register their protest.
KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi said the move exposed the BJP's "negative" attitude towards the people of the region.
Protesting NSUI activists stormed into the office of the BJP state headquarters office at Hengrabari area here and engaged in fisticuffs with the party workers, tore the saffron party's flags before security forces brought the situation under control.
