Guwahati: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) international general secretary Praveen Togadia on January 18 called upon different terrorist groups of Assam to follow the path of nationalism shown by the great medieval hero of Assam Lachit Barphukan and fight against the Islamic fundamentalists.

Calling Barphukan the "Chatrapati Shivaji of the East", Togadia said the need of the hour for the Hindus in Assam was to stop fight amongst themselves and unite for their common goal of uprooting the Bangladeshi infiltrators.

The United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) leader Paresh Barua should follow the path of Barphuka and fight against Islamic fundamentalists instead of trying to cut away the only branch that can sustain them, Togadia said after unveiling VHP's aggressive programme to tackle the menace of infiltrators here.

Togadia regretted that when the need of the hour was the unity of the Assamese, Bodos, Khasis, Mishings, Bengalis, Karbis and Dimasas, "against Islamic expansion were on a suicidal course and were fighting amongst themselves and therefore turning themselves into tools of Pakistan's (Inter-Sate Intelligence) ISI".

Togadia said VHP had chalked out a plan to "free Assam from the clutches of Bangladeshi Muslim infiltrators through a powerful movement".

He warned the people of Assam that they would be evicted like the Kashmiri Hindus from their own land if they failed to unite in their struggle against the illegal infiltrators.

Reminding the Assamese people that Lachit Borphukan did not hesitate to punish even his maternal uncle when he came in the way of his fight against the invading army of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, the VHP leader said, "Pseudo-secularist and pro-Muslim politicians who are opposing the steps aimed at freeing Assam from the clutches of Bangladeshi infiltrators were the 'mamas' of Lachit Borphukan and therefore should be exposed and crushed."

"If a great hero like Lachit Borphukan can inspire people like us thousands of miles away from Assam, why can't the people of Assam draw inspiration from his great example?" he wondered.

He also called upon the Assamese intellectuals to ponder as to why the Assamese people had failed so far to protect themselves against the "Islamic inroads".

PTI