Nehru, Congress conspired to 'fragment' Assam in 1961, claims BJP MP

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accused ex-PM Nehru and Congress of a 1961 conspiracy to 'fragment' Assam, settle Bangladeshi Muslims, and instigate violence, citing the Silchar firing where 11 Bengali-speakers were killed by police.

Dubey Accuses Nehru of 1961 Conspiracy to 'Fragment' Assam

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey launched a sharp attack against the Congress party on Tuesday, claiming that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the then Congress government had conspired to "fragment" the northeastern state back in 1961.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, in a post on X, said, "The Dark Chapter of Congress 64. On May 19, 1961, a conspiracy was hatched by then-Prime Minister Nehru Ji and the Congress-led Assam state government to divide Assam into fragments, settle Bangladeshi Muslims, and create distance between local Assamese people and the war with China. In the 1960s, violence erupted in the name of language not only in Tamil Nadu but also in Assam."

"On May 19, 1961, in Assam's Barak Valley, i.e., Silchar, firing took place on the Bengali-speaking community; in the brutality of this police incident, Congress killed 11 people right at the scene, and thousands were admitted to hospitals. In 1960, the Congress government enacted a law making the Assamese language mandatory for education, writing, and jobs; the enlightened people there kept meeting Prime Minister Nehru Ji continuously, but Nehru Ji remained steadfast until the Silchar firing incident occurred," the post said.

On Monday, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey alleged that the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was involved in the arrest of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, the founder of Jan Sangh in Jammu and Kashmir in 1953 and later in the "cover up" after the BJP's ideologue died in jail.

Amit Shah Attacks Nehru-Gandhi Family Over Assam

Earlier in April, Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused the Nehru-Gandhi family of "never having good feelings for Assam," recalling former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's remarks during the 1962 Chinese aggression.

Addressing a gathering in the rally here, Shah asserted that no one can seize even an inch of Assam's land and highlighted the BJP government's development and peace initiatives in the state. "The Gandhi family, the Nehru family, they have never had good feelings for Assam. In 1962, when China attacked, Jawaharlal Nehru said 'tata-bye-bye' to Assam. Is Assam your father's property? Today I am saying, no one can seize even an inch of Assam's land. This is India's Assam. Brothers and sisters, the state president here is accused of having relations with an enemy nation of India. He says nothing. In 60 years, Congress built three bridges," Shah said.

Shah said that the BJP government worked to bring peace to Assam through 13 agreements and has liberated Batadrava Than.

'Congress Obstructed Development'

On infrastructure and education, Shah criticised the Congress for opposing the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Palasbari, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had brought to benefit Assamese youth. "When PM Modi brought the IIM to Palasbari, his objective was to ensure that the youth of Palasbari and Assam could study at the IIM. Yet, the Congress party is opposing the IIM. The Congress party actively worked to obstruct the bill for the Palasbari IIM," he said.

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