GUWAHATI: Addressing two back-to-back election rallies for the second phase of Lok Sabha polls in Assam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday tried to allayed fear among the indigenous people of Assam over CAB while continuing with his tirade against the rival Congress party.
Addressing a massive rally at Ramnagar in Silchar in Barak Valley on Thursday afternoon, Modi reiterated the BJP’s commitment to bring back Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) with a promise to consult every section of the society in including ‘Assamese brothers and sisters’ before implementing it.
Campaigning for BJP candidates in Barak Valley, Dr Rajdeep Roy (Silchar) and Kripanath Mallah (Karimganj), Modi assured “We will enact legislations along with the CAB to protect the identity and safeguard rights of Assamese brothers and sisters.”
It may be mentioned that while now lapsed CAB was lapped up by Bengali-speaking Hindus in Barak Valley, it was opposed vehemently by Assamese-speaking indigenous communities in Brahmaputra Valley in Assam. The BJP needs vote of both these groups this election.
“In 1947, Congress allowed division of the country to pave the way for creation of Islamic Pakistan without bothering to think about the plight that would be caused by the partition of the country for the non-Muslim sons of soil from different religions living Pakistan,” Modi said adding that CAB was meant to safeguard those sons of Bharat Mata who had leave neighbouing countries for fear of their life.
Modi reiterated that every poor family in the country would get a pucca house with electricity, toilet and cooking gas connection by 2022 if the BJP is voted to power in this election.
Earlier in the day, addressing another election rally at Kendukona, under Mangaldai Lok Sabha constituency in Assam, Modi accused rival Congress of snatching food from the mouth of the poorest to replenish their leaders’ coffers and stated that that voting for the party (Congress) was a ‘paap’ (sin).
“The Congress is a party that is fighting the polls for the cause of a ‘namdaar’ (renowned) family with money stolen from the mouths of the poor children and pregnant women. Voting for them is a sin,” he said.
Alleging that the ‘namdaar’ family of the Congress is neck-deep in corruption and out only on bail, he added that a ‘new scam’ has been now added to their name, the ‘Tughlaq Road Scam’.
“For those who don’t know, crores of rupees, gunny bags filled with money, have been recovered from a bungalow in Tuhqlaq Road in New Delhi. And everyone knows who lives in Tuqhlaq Road,” he said, without naming Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
“The Congress could have worked for the development of the country. But then, it didn’t have time from indulging in corruption and looting the country,” he added.
“This election will decide the course of India. It is your vote that will determine whether you want a timid government or a brave one,” Modi added, urging the people to cast their votes in favour of the BJP-led NDA candidates across the country.
Modi claimed that it was his government that had achieved a border deal with Bangladesh, sealed the international border and was in the process of completing identification of foreigners through the updated National Register of Citizens (NRC).
He also reiterated the BJP’s commitment for implementation of Clause 6 of Assam Accord, which ensures constitutional safeguards for the people of the state, and granting Scheduled Tribe status to six communities of the state, without impacting the benefits enjoyed by the current ST communities.
In Kendukona, Modi campaigned for party candidates from Mangaldai, Dilip Saikia, and neighbouring constituency of Gauhati, Queen Oja.
Election to Silchar, Karimganj, Mangaidai and Gauhati will be held in the second phase on April 18 next.