APCC pooh-poohs BJP, its Assam in-charge

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Nov 18: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) vice president Ripun Bora has said that Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi always salutes the certificate given to him by the people of the State, not of one given by BJP's Assam in-charge Mahendra Singh.

Bora said this in a statement today while reacting to Mahendra Singh's recent statement that 'Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is a liar'. "Rather it is the BJP which takes to falsehood. The party has the habit of making false promises before every elections. The party should remember what it said before the last Lok Sabha elections, and it is doing now," Bora said, and added: "Before the last Lok Sabha elections the BJP did promise that it would deposit Rs 15 lakh in the account of every Indian by brining back the black money stashed abroad to the country within 100 days of coming to power. One year and eight months have already elapsed after the BJP coming to power at the Centre. What has the party done? It did promise to provide employment opportunities to two crore unemployed youths in the country yearly. However, let alone creating employment opportunities, the government at the Centre led by the party has stopped appointment and abolished a number of posts. They talked of overall development of Assam, but despite sending as many as seven MPs Assam to the Lok Sabha by the party the government led by the party at the Centre has started stopping various schemes befeniting Assam, one after another. The issue of rise in prices of essential commodities is less said, the better. Now the NDA wants to take the credit of bringing ULFA leader Anup Chetia back to India. However, the fact remains that the process was started by the then UPA Government at the Centre. The BJP is out to observe the Bihu with others pithas."

Reacting to Singh's allegation that MP Gaurav Gogoi interferes in the state affairs, Bora said: "If Singh has any proof supporting his allegation, he should make that public. Gaurav Gogoi is a people's representative, and as such a tiol party like the BJP levelling wild allegations against him doesn't augur well."