Guwahati, Nov 18, 2022, IANS

Guwahati, Nov 18 (IANS) Bodoland People's Front (BPF) chief Hagrama Mohilary in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that there were reports of multiple incidents where Bodo tribal families in Assam were being converted to Christianity by luring easy access to government facilities, and sometimes forcefully against their will.

The BPF supremo in his letter, which was also addressed to BJP president J.P. Nadda, alleged that the religious conversion has been undergoing under the leadership of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Chief Executive Member (CEM) Pramod Boro.

Churches are being built everywhere in the BTC area, said Mohilary, who recently met senior BJP leaders in Delhi and reportedly promised to the saffron party's central leadership that his party would not put up candidates in Lok Sabha seats and sought BPF's entry into NDA besides cabinet berth for the party in the Assam council of ministry and CEM post in the BTC.

"I and my party (BPF) worked hand in hand with BJP as a strong and committed partner of the NDA in Assam since 2015. I also supported the NDA's presidential candidate and other Rajya Sabha candidates.

"Because of our support, BJP came to power in Assam in 2016 under the leadership of Sarbananda Sonowal as the Chief Minister. I see no differences or contradictions between the ideology and objectives of BJP and BPF. I have full confidence and belief in your leadership," the BPF leader said in his letter.

The BPF currently has three MLAs in the 126-member Assam assembly.

Mohilary said that BJP in Assam chose to befriend United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) led by Pramod Boro in 2020 despite his utmost efforts to have a pre-poll alliance with BJP.

In January this year, BJP's estranged ally BPF had returned as a partner of BJP in state assembly.

BJP together with UPPL is ruling the sixth schedule council of BTC.

BPF had three ministers in the council of ministry in Assam in the first BJP led government headed by then Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

The Bodoland Territorial Region in western Assam comprises the five districts of Tamulpur, Chirang, Baksa, Udalguri and Kokrajhar, bordering Bhutan and West Bengal.