Make stand clear on intolerance, APCC asks Sonowal, Siddhartha

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, October 19: The Assam Pradesh Congress (APCC) today asked Union Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs Sarbanda Sonowal and State BJP president Siddhartha Bhattacharyya to make their stand clear on the current intolerance and commul politics in the country and the State.

In a statement issued to the press today, APCC secretary Ritupar Konwar said: “Sonowal and Bhattacharyya want change in government in Assam. However, in the past one year the people of Assam have seen the kind of changes they want to bring in Assam. The claim to fame for Sarbanda Sonowal is his efforts for deportation of foreigners from the State, regardless of their faiths. It is this issue that has made him Jatiya yak. However, after becoming a minister in Prime Minister rendra Modi’s ministry he is favouring categorization of foreigners on the basis of their faiths. The BJP had given the assurance to the people of Assam before the last Lok Sabha polls that they would deport all Bangladeshis from the State after coming to power. However, after coming at the helm of affairs they are out to protect Bangladeshis. Before the last Lok Sabha polls, BJP leaders, including rendra Modi, Sarbanda Sonowal and others, did say that they would check the rise in prices of essential commodities after the coming to power. Why are they silent now even after the prices of dal going over Rs 200 a kg?” Konwar also said: “Provoked by the RSS, BJP and their sister concerns a wave of intolerance is being swept all over the country now. There  has been erosion of democratic values in the face commulism that keeps spewing its venom all over the country. In an unprecedented development in Assam, BJP MP Ramen Deka has raised the issue of ‘beef eating’ in the State so as to commulize politics in the me of religion. This is why the APCC has been fighting relentlessly against such evil forces in the State.”