BJP pumping hawala money in Assam assembly elections: Gogoi

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, April 8: The BJP is bringing in money to Assam through hawala and using it for election purpose, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi alleged today, accusing the Income Tax department of "giving a free hand" to the party.

Gogoi said some officers of the IT department were being "politically influenced" and that is why they have turned a blind eye to the open distribution of money (among voters) by the BJP.

"Go to Himanta Biswa Sarma's residence in the evening. You will see. The IT officials on the other hand are checking only my people. Even the PCC president and my wife's vehicles were checked," he said.

Casting doubts over the neutrality of the Election Commission, the CM said if any lower-level officers are involved in such acts (of partiality), the commission should monitor and initiate action.

Alleging that BJP leaders were "experts in manipulating", Gogoi questioned why senior Central ministers Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley met businessmen in Guwahati on the eve of the elections.

"I haven't seen a Fince minister meeting businessmen like this. Even we don't meet businessmen in this fashion. The Fince minister controls everything…so if he calls, the businessmen are bound to respond. Sushma Swaraj is the Foreign minister. What work does she have with the businessmen?" Gogoi said, alleging that the BJP was receiving huge funds from corporate houses.

Claiming that he and the Congress party had never been bias, Gogoi said, "Even Bijoya Chakraborty came to my house and sought a beer bar license for her son. I gave her. We are not partial. Even AGP leaders come to me."

Coming down heavily on the BJP for raking up the issue of infiltration in every election, Gogoi insisted that if there was influx in the last two years, then Union Home Minister Rajth Singh is responsible for it. "The intertiol border is his responsibility. If no intruder has crossed the border in the last two years, he should say it," Gogoi said.

Gogoi said he was "happy" that Prime Minister rendra Modi visited the Kamakhya Temple on Friday. "May the Goddess bless him so that he restores Assam's Special Category status and release the pending funds to the State," he quipped.