Date:04/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/04/stories/2008050454970800.htm

National

AGP with UNPA not with BJP: Amar Singh

Sushanta Talukdar

‘Congress, BJP blocking growth of other forces’
AASU’s appeal to regional parties in Assam to unite welcomed

Guwahati: Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh on Saturday said that the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) is an important stakeholder of the United Nations Progressive Alliance(UNPA) and denied reports that the AGP was inching closer to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Addressing a press conference jointly with AGP President Brindaban Goswami, Mr. Singh told journalists that the Congress and the BJP did not want any other force to grow but the UNPA had become a strong platform of regional parties truly national in character.

Mr. Singh announced that the AGP would hold a seminar on price rise and inflation to be followed by a mass rally in Assam in which all UNPA leaders would take part. The UNPA would also try to bring the leaders of the Left parties for the seminar and rally to be organised by the AGP. The Samajwadi Party leader was here in Assam along with party MP Jaya Prada to discuss with AGP leaders the strengthening of UNPA in Assam.

The SP leader welcomed the All-Assam Students’ Union’s appeal to regional parties in Assam to unite. He, however, declined to make any comment on the AASU’s stand that the former Chief Minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, should be kept out of the unified regional force. He said that it was up to the AGP leaders to decide whether the unification should be done with or without Mr. Mahanta.