HM’s border visit violation of cooperative federalism: Gogoi
GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Sunday termed Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Indo-Bangla international border in Karimganj sector in South Assam without taking the state government into confidence as unfortunate and violation to the spirit of cooperative federalism. Singh is on a two-day visit to Assam to take stock of the border guarding apparatus and construction of border fencing along IndiaBangladesh border in Karimganj and Dhubri sectors in Assam. On Sunday, he visited Karimganj sector and was accompanied by the top leaders of All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) besides senior BJP leaders including state BJP president Sarbanada Sonowal and party general secretary Ram Madhab. In a statement issued here on Sunday night Gogoi said, “We welcome the Union Home Minister’s border visit. However, not taking any Assam government’s representative along with him in spite of its (state government’s) request is a violation to the spirit of cooperative federalism and NDA government’s much vaunted rhetoric of Team India”. Gogoi said that State Government had an important role in safeguarding border and hence Assam government should have been taken into confidence for making the border visit more meaningful. Gogoi pointed out that request had been made from the State Government to accommodate Inspector General(SB) HC Nath as a State Government representative to accompany Rajnath Singh on border visit. However, the request was turned down citing space constraint as the reason. Gogoi stated that at least two BJP leaders including Himanta Biswa Sharma and Mahendra Singh were accommodated for the border visit with Rajnath Singh. “Taking political leaders ignoring concerned government officials to solve a problem where State’s interest is involved will not go down well which also exposes partisan attitude of none other than the Union Home Minister”, Gogoi alleged.