launching a counter attack on the BJP Government at the Centre, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday dared Union Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs, Sarbananda Sonowal to come out with a White Paper on what the NDA Governments at the Centre in the past and the present one under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done for Assam.
Gogoi urged Sonowal to stop spreading canards against former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and the present Congress Government in Assam and said that Sonowal cannot hoodwink the people of Assam by making false statements that the erstwhile Congress-led UPA Government virtually did nothing for Assam in the past 10 years of its term and the present Congress dispensation in Assam in the past 15 years.
“Sonowal, instead of unleashing a misinformation campaign against former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the present Congress dispensation in Assam must come out with a White Paper as to what the previous BJP-led NDA Government headed by former Prime Minister AB Vajpayee and the present dispensation headed by Narendra Modi did for Assam during its almost eight years in power,” Gogoi said on Thursday.
He said that people can witness the development on different fronts like roads, health and education and that the State, which was in a bad shape in 2001, has surpassed even big States like Gujarat in some key parameters of development.
“Modi had promised galore that it would resolve the major issues confronting Assam during his lok Sabha campaign. But after becoming the Prime Minister he has taken U-turns on issues like pushing back Bangladeshis, stopping rhino killings, lower Subansiri dam, granting ST status to six ethnic communities, et al,” Gogoi said.
“If PM Modi has so much of love, affection and concern for the people of the state, then why his government had deprived the state of the Special Category status, put under suspension the North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy, changed the funding pattern of Centrally Sponsored Schemes and slashing funds from the Ministry of DoNER against NlCPR and NEC,” Gogoi asked.
“The PM Modi during his recent visit to the state did not utter a single word on foreigners’ issue, flood and erosion, granting ST status to six ethnic communities, lower Subansiri dam, major poll planks on which his party bagged the maximum number of lok Sabha seats in 2014,” Gogoi pointed out.
Gogoi said that the BJP-led Central government has ignored the state’s proposal for Rs 1,350 crore for establishment of Skill Development Centres in all 219 development blocks of the State. “PM Modi talks of Skill India Mission, he has not given any response to our proposal submitted in August 2014. Even Sarbananda Sonowal who was then the Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship could do nothing on this front,” he added.