A CORRESPONDENT
SILCHAR: The state Congress team led by its President Gaurav Gogoi began its poll campaign in Barak Valley with a promise that if the party was voted to power, they would serve the valley like their previous governments. Addressing the first zonal convention in southern Assam at Katigorah, Gogoi said that it was former Chief Minister Late Tarun Gogoi who first suggested that the Bengali Hindus whose names featured in the 2014 electoral roll would be given citizenship.
"But the BJP government has intentionally designed the CAA in such a way that Hindu Bengalis have to first declare themselves as Bangladeshis and then only citizenship may be granted. But, even if they get citizenship, Bengali Hindus will be treated as second class citizens," Gogoi said. The APCC President lambasted the Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma government alleging that in no other regime, the people of Barak Valley had been so ruthlessly discriminated against. "Tarun Gogoi used to respect the advice of leaders like SM Dev, Dinesh Prasad Goala, Ajit Singh, Manilal Goala, Chandan Sarkar, but today, only a lone Bengali representative from the entire Assam has been inducted in the Ministry," he said.
MP Rakibul Hussain too charged the BJP government and said that during Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma's regime, Barak Valley suffered the worst as local youths were deprived of government jobs.
In Wednesday's first zonal convention of Congress in Barak Valley, the AICC Observer, Bandu Tirkey, of Jharkhand, Vikas Upadhyay, MLA Pradip Sarkar, former MP Abhijit Mukherjee, son of former President Late Pranab Mukherjee, and other local leaders delivered speeches.
Also Read: APCC leader Gaurav Gogoi launches sharp attack on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma