Panchayat Polls: Debate on syndicates gains pace

GUWAHATI: In the run-up to the panchayat poll in the State, likely to be conducted in December this year, the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress have been engaged in a war over syndicates. While the BJP has dared the Congress to pinpoint with evidence, the Congress has dared the former to prove that the syndicates are not being run in the State under the patronage of the government.

State BJP spokesperson Rupam Goswami has been maintaining that there is no syndicate in Assam. Time and again, he says that the development works being done in the State, zero tolerance over corruption and the investigation into the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) scam under the BJP-led government in the State have frustrated the Congress. “With a view to negate all such achievements of the State Government, the Congress has been leveling some baseless allegations that there are syndicates of all commodities in Assam. We dare Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora to pinpoint as to where such syndicates are with concrete evidence. If he can’t, let Bora stay away from making such wild allegations and misleading the people of the State,” Goswami said in a press meet in Guwahati on Monday.

Goswami said: “The people of the State have faith on us. They know it well that we’re not going to do anything that goes against the interest of Assam or that hurts the sentiment of the people of the State.”

In a statement issued to the media on Monday, APCC spokesperson Rituparno Konwar, on the other hand, said: “The State Home Department and the Chief Minister’s Legal Adviser have already admitted that syndicates are being run in the State. However, even after such an admission, the State Government is silent on the issue of syndicate raj. For evidence of syndicates in the State, let the BJP go to the State Home Department or the Chief Minister’s Legal Advisor to get evidence of syndicates in the State in details. The ruling party may also go to the Law Implementation Committee of the Assam Legislative Assembly that had a detailed discussion on syndicates in the State. The chairman of the Assembly committee is a BJP legislator.”

Konwar has also dared the BJP to prove that the syndicates being run in the State are not being patronized by the State Government.