GUWAHATI: The ruling BJP launched a scathing attack on principal Opposition party, Congress as well as taking potshots against Asom Gana Parishad, its ‘former ally’ in Assam, while blowing its bugle for the coming Lok Sabha elections and even asserting to bring the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, if the people elected the party to power again.
BJP national president, Amit Shah while addressing rallies in Lakhimpur and Guwahati on Sunday, claimed that during the past five to six decades, neither Congress nor AGP could perform in the manner which BJP-led Centre has done in less than five years now.
“The Assam Accord was signed way back in 1985 and since then there have been AGP and Congress ruled governments in the state. But what have the two parties done so far,” Shah asked, while listing out its achievements in the state over the past five years. “Not just the Assam Accord, what have they done in regard to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) for so many years? But by initiating the NRC update process, the Narendra Modi-led government has shown its commitment to identify infiltrators and deport them so that Assam does not become another Kashmir,” he said.
The BJP leader also said that the party would implement Clause 6 of the Accord, which calls for Constitutional protection of language, culture of the indigenous communities, if it got a second term.
Shah pledged to bring CAB, which it had failed to table in Rajya Sabha during the Budget session, if the people elected the party to power again in the parliamentary polls.
“This is our commitment to the people of Assam that we will bring CAB again if we are voted to power as without the Bill, which will protect the identity and demography of Assam, there can be no progress,” he said.
Shah also said the BJP government had initiated the process to grant Scheduled Tribe status to six indigenous communities of Assam.
Further listing the party’s achievements, the BJP leader said that 133 schemes have been dedicated to Assam so far,
besides the various projects which have improved road, rail and air connectivity across the Northeast.
“Over the past 70 years, Assam has had only three bridges but under BJP, the state got three in less than five years while five more are under construction. The Congress-led UPA government gave only Rs 79,000crore under the 13th Finance Commission to Assam. However, in the 14th Finance Commission, the BJP government allocated Rs 1.55 lakh crore to the state,” he said.
Shah also minced no words against “former ally” in Assam, AGP by saying that the regional party had lost elections whenever it went alone, the case in point here being the panchayat polls, where BJP without any ally emerged triumphant unlike AGP which cut a sorry figure.
BJP chief vows action against terrorists
Shah also said the sacrifices of the 40 CRPF personnel in Pulwama will not go in vain as there is a BJP government at the Centre now and it, unlike the erstwhile Congress dispensation, will not ‘compromise’ on any security issue. Shah said the gruesome attack was carried out by Pakistan-based terrorists, who would not be spared at any cost.
“This cowardly act was done by Pakistani terrorists. Their (jawans’) sacrifices will not go in vain, because there is no Congress government at the Centre. We will not compromise on any security issue,” he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the strongest willpower among all world leaders to fight against terrorism, he claimed. “Already, replies through diplomatic channels, bullets and surgical strikes were given (to Pakistan). The BJP government gave all sort of replies to Pakistani terrorists,” Shah said. (With PTI inputs)
