Festival hurts local sentiments: APCC

By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, April 1: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has accused the BJP Government in the State of hurting the dignity of the people of Assam by holding mami Brahmaputra. It has also said that the new bank transaction norms set by the Central Government is against daily-wage earners and small traders.
Talking to newsmen at Rajiv Bhavan in the city today, senior APCC spokesperson Apurba Kumar Bhattcharya said: “mami Brahaputra Festival, which has been underway since yesterday, has posed a challenge to our dignity, tradition and existence. What economic benefit will Assam accrue from this festival being held by spending crores of rupees? Will this festival preserve our riparian culture, apart from preventing floods and erosion?  There’s no dearth of priests in Assam as they’re in large number in the Kamakhya Temple and Shiva Doul in the State. Don’t they know the tricks of the trade? What’s the reason behind importing priests from Uttar Pradesh in large numbers when such priests are abundant in Assam as well? Isn’t it an act against the indigenous people of the State? This festival, being held by a few bureaucrats along with a few contractors of their choice with blithe disregard to the sentiment of the local people, has only ensured an outflow of our wealth outside the State. Is it a ploy to impose the culture of Uttar Pradesh in Assam or is it the first step of BJP’s river-linking project?”
Bhattacharya also criticized the government on the opening of zero balance accounts in SBI that has later made a minimum balance in such accounts compulsory.