Agencies
Guwahati, February 11:
With an eye on ensuing Assembly polls in Assam and West Bengal, Union Home Minister Amit Shah today ‘accepted all long pending demands’ of Koch-Rajbonshi community. Shah held nearly an hour long discussion with Koch-Rajbonshi leader Ananta Rai ‘Maharaj’ at his residence at Satipur in Chirang district of Assam today.
On visit to exclusively meet Rai, who claims to have over 18 lakh supporters in both the states and has considerable influence in North Bengal especially, Shah was accompanied by top BJP leaders of West Bengal.
Assam BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass and Health Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma had also accompanied Shah to Satipur from Guwahati, where he had spent last night before flying to Chirang in a special helicopter.
Emerging from the meeting, Rai told reporters that discussions were held on various issues and Shah ‘has accepted all long pending demands of Koch-Rajbonshi people’.
Refusing to divulge further details, Rai said, “All I can say now is that good days are coming for the Koch-Rajbonshi community. Our long wait will be over soon.”
Rai, who heads an influential group of Greater Cooch Behar People’s Association, added that they are already a part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
The Association had bestowed the title of ‘maharaj’ on Rai who claims tobe a descendant of rulers of the Koch-Rajbonshi community.
They have been demanding seperate state of Cooch Behar carved out of parts of north Bengal and western Assam.
Shah flew to North Bengal from Chirang on official engagement.
