Rajth hogging credit, fumes Gogoi

BJP-AIUDF two sides of the same coin, have secret pact: CM

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Jan 5: Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today fired another salvo at Union Home Minister Rajth Singh, alleging that Singh is trying to hog the limelight for work done by the State government when he asserted that border sealing in Karimganj sector will be completed by this year end.

“Perhaps the Home Minister is not aware that closing only the Assam border portion is not enough, if infiltration continues through porous borders in other States,” Gogoi said, while addressing a press conference in Guwahati.

Gogoi also alleged that Singh refused to take along State government officials during his visit to the Indo-Bangla border in Karimganj on the first day, though the State government had placed a request.

“Facing criticism on the first day, he took along a State government official during his Dhubri sector visit on the second day,” Gogoi said.

He also questioned the Centre’s failure in having a deportation treaty with Bangladesh, which would have ebled India to hand over identified foreigners.

Accusing Rajth Singh of showing “fake concern”, Gogoi said, “The Union Home Minister is showing concern over issues related to Assam only because the State assembly elections are due.”

“This type of politics will not help the BJP here. The people are mature enough to see through it,” added the Chief Minister.

Criticizing the Union Home Minister for not discussing law and order and insurgency related problems with the State government during his two-day visit to Assam, Gogoi said, “The Union Home Minister came, spent so much time in the State but didn’t feel the need to discuss the problems of law and order, insurgency or even updation of tiol Register of Citizens (NRC).”

On the other hand, ruling out any pre-poll pact with the AIUDF, Gogoi on Tuesday said, “I had said earlier that there will be no seat sharing with any party. But now, there will be no understanding also with Ajmal and his party.”

He admitted that the Congress and AIUDF had held some talks about a possible pre-poll understanding, but alleged that the AIUDF displayed its insincerity by placing “unreasoble” conditions before the Congress.

Terming AIUDF and BJP as two sides of the same coin, Gogoi alleged that the AIUDF and the BJP are having a secret pact.

Interestingly, referring to Ajmal’s recent comment on whether PM rendra Modi went to Pakistan to eat beef, Gogoi, who is otherwise a staunch detractor of Modi, expressed outrage: “How dare Ajmal make such a comment against the Prime Minister? He is our Prime Minister and everyone knows he is a pure vegetarian. There has to be some level of public decorum.” He added that even the BJP has not taken serious issue with Ajmal’s egregious comment, which “indicates some sort of secret understanding between the two”.

Meanwhile, when asked why the police did not arrest his former blue-eyed boy turned BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma on a FIR filed for vandalism at the LGBI airport by his supporters, Gogoi said, “Law is equal for all, but sometime we need to think twice before taking action. He wanted to be a hero by getting arrested. So we didn’t arrest him.”

Denying that the police has been politicized, Gogoi said, “Sometime we need to take such a step. All governments do it.”