Apart from keeping the state on the boil, the Citizenship(Amendment) Bill, 2016 has started dividing BJP, the ruling party even after the exit of its coalition partner. Nearly a dozen of party MLAs is believed to have been preparing to stand united against the Bill if the party leadership fails to read the writings on the wall. Talking to www.assamtimes.org, a senior party leader in Delhi said only a handful of party MLAs along with the ministers are unlikely to maintain studied silence. Nearly 25 MLAs are likely to come up openly against the Bill to put the government in a fix. “The number of aggrieved BJP legislators is increasing on every passing day. These legislators, mostly, are weighing option. They would need a couple of days to strategize the curse of action once they quit the party or speak up openly against the controversial Bill,” he said.
One after another ruling party leaders and legislators have spoken up against the Bill that promises Indian citizenship to the non Muslim neighbors ; Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
BJP MLA Rhituparna Baruah has openly spoken up against the Bill saying that the spirit of the Assam Accord, 1985 should be retained untouched which is not possible if the Bill in question is passed in Parliament. “We did Assam agitation for 6 years from 1979 till the signing of the Accord to detect and deport the immigrants. How we should allow the immigrants to get citizenship? This Bill should not be approved,” said Baruah.
Baruah, who is known for his close association with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal further said,” I think the sedition charge against Dr Hiren Gohain is a deliberate attempt to defame the chief minister Sonowal. This should not happen.”
Hours before him, Sootea MLA Padma Hazarika who migrated from AGP 3 years back said at a meeting that he would be with the Assam Accord, 1985 and that anything contradictory to the historic document should be brushed aside. “I was one of the agitator. I know. I am stick to the Assam Accord only. I am very plain and simple,” said Hazarika. Last week assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami also opposed the Bill and said it was a hasty decision which might be quite contrary to what the people want. The first one BJP MLA to oppose it was Atul Bora, who has been dead opposed to the idea since inception.
Party spokesman Mehdi Alam Bora and already resigned from the party before CK Das, a retired bureaucrat put in his papers as secretary.
Nirjuli, June 3: The 1 Arunachal Pradesh Battalion of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), under the aegis of the NCC Group Headquarters Tezpur, has commenced its Combined Annual Training Camp (CATC-37) cum Yuva Aapda Mitra Scheme (YAMS) programme at the North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST), Nirjuli. The ten-day camp began on June 1 and will continue until June 10.
A total of 350 NCC cadets from Group Headquarters Tezpur are participating in the camp, including 56 cadets enrolled under the Yuva Aapda Mitra Scheme. The camp is being conducted under the leadership of the Commanding Officer and Administrative Officer of 1 Arunachal Pradesh Battalion NCC, supported...
The Kaziranga Rhino Cup 2026, a major national-level boxing selection tournament, will be held at Golaghat Stadium in Assam from June 5 to June 7, 2026. The event is being organized as a qualifying platform for the upcoming Pro Boxing League (PBL) of the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation.
The tournament will serve as the second qualifying stage ahead of the Pro Boxing League scheduled to be held in New Delhi in July 2026. Through the competition, eight boxers—including five men and three women across different weight categories—will be selected for participation in the professional league.
Speaking about the event, Dr. Rakesh Mishra, National President of the Indian Amateur Boxing...
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has flagged expenditure of ₹509.59 crore incurred by the Assam government during 2024-25 without any budget provision, supplementary grant, or re-appropriation order, raising concerns over financial management and legislative oversight.
According to the CAG's State Finance Audit Report for Assam (Report No. 2 of 2026), the expenditure was incurred in 13 cases under the head "Public Debt and Servicing of Debt" despite the absence of authorization through the state's budgetary process.
The audit report observed that such expenditure was in violation of Article 204 of the Constitution, which mandates legislative approval before funds can...
The granting of environmental clearance for oil drilling inside the Upper Dehing Reserved Forest has reignited concerns among environmentalists and local residents over the future of one of Upper Assam's ecologically sensitive forest landscapes.
According to a public notice issued by Oil India Limited (OIL), the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Assam, has accorded environmental clearance for the diversion of 3.73 hectares of forest land for drilling four oil wells at the old Bogapani-2 plinth in the Upper Dehing Reserved Forest (West Block) under the Digboi Forest Division.
The clearance, granted under the provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)...
Vishwa Samvad Kendra (VSK) Assam has announced the annual Devarshi Narad Jayanti lecture programme, which will be held on Sunday, June 7, at Sudarshanalay in the Barbari area of Guwahati. The event will begin at 10:30 am.
Nationally acclaimed news presenter and Senior Advisor of the News Division at Delhi Doordarshan, Prakhar Shrivastava, will deliver the keynote lecture focusing on the life and contributions of Devarshi Narad, regarded as the world's first media professional.
On the occasion, senior journalist and editor of Ishan Darpan, Nava Thakuria, will be conferred the Devarshi Narad Jayanti Award 2026 in recognition of his long-standing contributions to journalism. Three...
Livino K., from the Sumi community in Nagaland, has been awarded the prestigious 2026 Huayu (Mandarin) Enrichment Scholarship by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education. Hailing from Yemishe, a small village in Zunheboto district, Livino is set to embark on a transformative six-month study trip to Taiwan.
Her journey into the world of Mandarin began unexpectedly in 2025 while exploring opportunities for interdisciplinary learning. Stumbling upon the online Mandarin programme offered by the Taiwan Education Center at Assam Don Bosco University (ADBU), Livino was intrigued by the centre’s reputation, quality teaching, and the opportunity to sit for standardized proficiency examinations. She...
The second edition of the Kaziranga Chess Carnival is set to be held on June 7, 2026 at Resort Borgos, Kohora, near Kaziranga National Park. Organised by Adian Business Solutions Pvt. Ltd. in association with Assam Chess Club and Aaghun, the one-day rapid chess tournament will feature competitions in Under-10, Under-15 and Open categories.
The event is expected to draw over 200 participants, including FIDE-rated players, state champions, junior talents, coaches and representatives from academies across India and neighbouring regions.
The tournament will be conducted under the supervision of International Arbiter and former Indian chess coach Biswajit Bharadwaj under a 7-round Swiss...
Assam continues to witness an alarming number of suicide cases, with concerns growing over economic distress, unemployment and mental health challenges among vulnerable sections of society.
According to the latest “Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) 2024” data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Assam recorded 3,203 suicide cases in 2024, compared to 3,051 cases in 2023.
The issue has remained a major social concern through 2025-26, particularly amid rising living costs, unstable income sources and growing financial pressure on low-income families. Reports and field observations indicate that daily wage earners,...
India has witnessed protest movements, student uprisings, anti-corruption campaigns and meme wars before. But perhaps no recent phenomenon captures the frustration of India’s younger generation as sharply as the sudden rise of the “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP).
What started as an internet joke has rapidly evolved into a national political conversation.
The movement emerged after controversial remarks attributed to Supreme Court judge Surya Kant during a hearing, where unemployed youth and activists were allegedly compared to “cockroaches” and “parasites.” Though later clarifications suggested the remarks were directed at fake-degree holders and not unemployed youth generally, the...
Dudhnoi, May 22: A day-long capacity building programme for agri-export oriented stakeholders was organized by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority in collaboration with ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra Goalpara at the KVK campus in Dudhnoi on May 18, 2026.
The programme witnessed enthusiastic participation from nearly 80 farmers and members of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) from different parts of Goalpara district. The initiative aimed to create awareness about export opportunities in the agricultural sector and equip stakeholders with knowledge on export procedures and support mechanisms.
The programme began with...
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