People of both valleys ready to tell you 'good riddance', Sonowal tells Gogoi

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Dec 19: Assam BJP president Sarbanda Sonowal today had some straight talks on Central funds and SAF Games that have been doing the rounds in the State, time and again.

Soon after Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi holding a press meet, the BJP leader followed suit, and told the media: “Press meets don’t solve the problems that continue to afflict Assam. Of late, the Chief Minister has been on a spree to hold press meets. Instead of holding such press meets, he should try to delve into the core of the real problems in the State. He is on the spree to criticize the Centre for right or wrong reasons. His allegation that the Centre has been depriving Assam is a blatant lie.”

Sonowal said: “The Centre has been helping Assam as much as possible. Let Gogoi make the people of the State know the amount of funds his government got from the Centre, and how and where he has spent the money. He should also let the people of Assam know the amount of funds his government got from the Centre during the two successive tenures of Assam Rajya Sabha MP Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister? Even as he is on a false campaign against the Centre, the people of Assam aren’t going to take his utterances at their face value. The  people of both the Brahmaputra and the Barak valleys have decided to tell him ‘good riddance’.”

“The Centre has been laying more emphasis on Assam and other States in the Northeast. The Prime Minister sends a minister to Assam and other States in the Northeast every fortnight. He even speaks of Assam and other Northeast States while in abroad,” Sonowal continued, and added: “The Centre is going to bear the entire expenditure of the SAF Games. Adequate funds have been released, and more funds will come. When the tiol Games were held in Assam during the UPA tenure, Dispur had to pay Rs 100 crore.”

Ajmal hints at grand alliance

By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Dec 19: AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal today hinted the grand alliance yet again in Assam for, what he said, only to defeat the BJP.
Talking to newsmen in the city today, Ajmal said: “We did mention grand alliance earlier, but that failed to click. If the alliance really happens now under the aegis of Prashant Kishore, it’s welcome. If such an alliance can be stitched in Bihar to keep the BJP at bay, why can’t it happen in Assam? We’re crystal clear, a grand alliance is a must so as to tell the BJP ‘good riddance’ from Assam.” When asked if there would be problems in the alliance of a motley group of parties in the State, Ajmal said: “When eyes are set on a bigger issue, smaller problems are overlooked.”
It is worth mentioning here that Prashant Kishore, who paid a visit to Assam recently, had a meeting with AGP leaders in Delhi with the intervention of senior advocate Ram Jethmalani. At Manisha Bibah Bhawan the AIUDF started its two-day review meeting today. They reviewed the  matters relating to 20 lower Assam LACs today. The meeting heard the views of the party’s Assembly committees, amidst hot debates in front of Ajmal, MLAs and other senior leaders of the party.