IANS
GUWAHATI, JANUARY 21
[dropcap]L[/dropcap]aunching a fresh attack on the BJP-led central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress in Assam Wednesday released a handbook on the BJP government’s “U-turns” on various pre-poll commitments.
Releasing the book, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Congress leader Anjan Dutta said the Bharatiya Janata Party has made ‘U-turns’ on all promises made to the people of India before the Lok Sabha elections.
The 31-page booklet contains all the promises and commitments made by the BJP ahead of the polls and the party’s stand on the same issues after forming the government at the centre.“They (BJP) said not a single illegal infiltrator will be allowed to stay here once their party comes to power. The party leaders even set a deadline of May 17 for the Bangladeshis living in Assam. However, nothing has changed but the BJP has now stopped talking on the Bangladeshi issue,” Gogoi said.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi had claimed before the Lok Sabha polls that they would bring back the black money hoarded illegally in foreign banks and distribute Rs.15 lakh to each Indian citizen. However, more than six months have passed but not a single rupee has been brought back to the country from foreign banks,” he said.
“The BJP had also opposed hike of railway fares and opposed construction of big dams in the northeast. However, one of the first initiatives of the present government was to hike railway passenger fare by 14.2 percent and freight fare by 6.5 percent when they formed the government. This is a complete U turn.
“Similarly, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said the construction of the Lower Subansiri Hydropower Project would not be allowed at any cost. However, now they are going ahead with the 2,000 MW power project,” he said. Gogoi also criticised the central government for keeping on hold the implementation of the Food Security Act in Assam on the ground of non-digitization of the beneficiaries’ names.
He said this was a violation of basic right of the poor people.
On the land swap deal with Bangladesh, Gogoi said: “The BJP criticised us (Congress) when we signed the protocol to the India-Bangladesh land swap deal. The BJP also protested against it. However, the same party, after forming the government, made it clear that they would go ahead with the land swap deal.”
