Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal praised the moderation and patience shown by the people of the state more particularly the residents of Barak Valley in view of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's inflammatory remarks and her decision of sending a delegation to Barak Valley after the publication of NRC draft.

Taking to his Fecebook page, Sonowal said, "People of Assam, I salute your unity, maturity and resilience. You stood like a rock in the face of repeated attempts by vested interest groups to disturb peace and create panic. You are our strength".

"Assam is a land known for its unity since ages. Inspired by the humanitarian philosophies of the modern legends, Bhupen Hazarika and Hemanga Biswas, different caste, community, creed and religions live here in harmony, symbolising its unique heritage", he added.

Sonowal also expressed his gratitude towards the people of Barak Valley for the exemplary equanimity that they exhibited without falling prey to the traps of external forces. In a statement the CM also thanked the Bengali speaking people and different organizations of the state for unequivocally registering their protests against West Bengal Chief Minister's plan of polarizing the state.

He emphasised on the fact that since the very beginning of updating the NRC, some vested interests were hell- bound in destabilizing the process by making remarks contrary to the age-old unity prevailing among the people of Assam.