BJPMLA Rupak Sharma on Monday compared former Assam CM Prafulla Kumar Mahanta withULFA (I) chief Paresh Barua. Sharma said, "There is no difference betweenPrafulla Kumar Mahanta and Paresh Barua. Both of them do not supportdemocracy."

He made the remarks after the senior AGP boycotted the recently concluded Lok Sabha Elections. Rupak Sharma said, "Not casting the vote can be considered as his moral right, but this is not his democratic right. If needed, he could have casted his vote in NOTA." The BJP candidate from Nagaon also criticized Mahanta over latter's stand on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

Meanwhile, terming Sharma's remark as unfortunate, Mahanta said, "Rupak Sharma should study history." Defending his stand on boycotting the polls, Mahanta said, "Paresh Barua believes in violence, while I completely support democratic process." Reiterating his stand on CAB, Mahanta said, "If CAB passes in parliament, then Assam will become another Tripura."