He took the name of Desired Borfukan during the ‘Independence of Amrut Mahotsav’ program on 12 March.
The opposition parties in Assam have slated Prime Minister Narendra Modi to refer to the 17th-century Ahom general Lasht Borofukan as a freedom fighter.
He took the name of Borfukan along with others who “contributed to the independence of the country” at a function to start the ‘Amrit Mahotsav of Independence’ on 12 March. The event celebrated 75 years of India’s independence from British rule.
Borfukan led the Ahoms in the Battle of Sarghat in 1671, considered the greatest naval battle on a river to win over the Mughals. He died in April 1672, almost two centuries before the Indian independence movement began.
The newly-formed Assam Janata Parishad (AJP) demanded an apology from the Prime Minister for the historic mistake.
He said, “The Prime Minister can either be ignorant of the political gains in Assam before the Assembly elections. We would like to remind them that Assam was a sovereign country for more than 600 years till 1228-1826. People of Assam pay tribute to Lachit Borfukan for thwarting the Mughal invasion, ”AJP General Secretary and former BJP leader Jagdish Bhuyan said in a statement on 13 March.
“Fact-based statements are not expected from the Prime Minister,” he said.
“The Prime Minister must make his mistake, intentionally or otherwise. No person has the right to insult a community, a state and its great personalities.
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