Guwahati: Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday rebutted the visiting Union Minority Affairs Minister Dr Najma Heptulla’s reported statement made here that the incumbent Congress government has not done anything for the development of minorities in its 15 years of rule and termed her statement baseless and politically motivated.
Gogoi said, “The State government for the last 15 years has been working for the development of all sections of the people including minorities for their all round development and the is committed to work for the progress of all including minorities”.
Gogoi further questions if the Centre was so concerned for the development of minorities then why the Centre had not released any special fund for flood and erosion management which have affected the people living in the char (river isles) areas the most.
Gogoi further added that when the state was reeling under flood last year, neither the Prime Minister nor any other responsible Central minister visited the state to take stock of the flood and its affect on the people. Upping his ante, Gogoi moreover said that when the NDA dispensation at the Centre was so much concerned for the development of the minorities, why the Centre has withdrawn the Special Category Status to Assam and other Northeastern States which would have given more funds to the States to pursue their development agenda.
Gogoi described Dr. Najma Heptulla’s statement on minority development as like shedding crocodile’s
ears given that intolerance was on the rise once the new dispensation at Centre took over the reign
of power and the raging beef politics all over the country.
“Our Government is for the welfare of all sections of the people including minorities and we will stick to our commitment to the development of all and we oppose tooth and nail some of the discriminatory actions of the Centre which are giving rise to intolerance in the Country,” Gogoi said.
