Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lambasted the Congress party’s five guarantees announced as part of its manifesto, ahead of the three-phased assembly polls in Assam and said the party’s rule will instead guarantee reign of corruption, nepotism, instability, appeasement and fake promises.
Modi campaigned at Bokakhat in Golaghat district for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and ally Asom Gana Parishad’s (AGP) candidates and urged voters to reject Congress and return the BJP-led government to power. AGP president Atul Bora, who is a minister in the state cabinet, is contesting from Bokakhat, which will go to polls in the first phase on March 27.
“Those who ruled Assam for over 50 years are these days giving five guarantees to people of the state. But Assamese people are aware of the intentions of these people, who have the habit of making false promises. Sell dreams to the poor, tell lies, make them fight among themselves and rule over them. This has been Congress’s old formula to stay in power,” said Modi.
“You have to remember Congress means guarantee of a false poll manifesto. Congress means guarantee of confusion. Congress means guarantee of instability. Congress means guarantee of bombs, guns and blockades. Congress means guarantees of violence and division. Congress means guarantee of corruption, guarantee of nepotism,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}“You have to remember Congress means guarantee of a false poll manifesto. Congress means guarantee of confusion. Congress means guarantee of instability. Congress means guarantee of bombs, guns and blockades. Congress means guarantees of violence and division. Congress means guarantee of corruption, guarantee of nepotism,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}Modi was referring to Congress’s five guarantees—non-implementation of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Assam, ₹2000 every month to housewives, 200 units of free electricity to all households, increase in daily wages of tea garden workers to ₹365 and creation of 5 lakh government jobs—which is part of the party’s manifesto released on Saturday by Rahul Gandhi in Guwahati.
“BJP and NDA governments are working towards ‘sabka saath’, ‘sabka vikas’ and ‘sabka vishwas’, but Congress is concerned only about getting power by all possible means. Actually, Congress’s coffers have become empty and they want to come to power at any cost. Congress’s only true friend is the ‘kursi’ (seat of power),” said Modi
“Those with whom Congress has formed governments in Jharkhand and Maharashtra are campaigning against them in West Bengal. In Kerala, it abuses the Left, but in West Bengal it ties up with it for power. Congress calls itself secular, but in Assam, West Bengal and Kerala it has made friends with parties which are formed on communal lines. For Congress, nothing else matters but power,” he added.
Modi accused the Congress of ignoring indigenous Assamese people and reminded voters that the BJP’s Sarbananda Sonowal government in the state provided land allotment certificates to nearly 300,000 landless people. The PM accused the Congress of neglecting tea-garden workers and lauded the state government for launching schemes for the community’s education, income and healthcare. He assured that once the BJP returns to power, it would take steps to increase daily wages of tea-garden workers further.
“During the Congress rule, everyone was worried on how to save Assam from being looted. But during NDA rule, the state is moving ahead to touch new heights of progress. During Congress rule, there was a question on how Assam and the nation’s pride, the one-horned rhino, could be saved from poachers protected by the Congress. But our government has sent these rhino poachers behind bars,” he said.
Modi spoke about road and bridge construction work in Assam, praised the increase in forest cover in the state in the past few years, congratulated the state government for giving funds to nearly 9,000 religious institutions in Assam for development of their infrastructure as part of Asom Darshan scheme.
“The double-engine of the BJP government in Assam and at the Centre has worked for the state’s development. But during the Congress rule, when they had governments in state and at the Centre, there was double neglect as the grievances of Assamese people were not heard either in the state or at the Centre. Corruption was also double at that time, because local party workers and those in the Centre used to take their cuts. Infiltration was also double as the party needed to increase its vote bank,” the PM said.
Assam goes to polls in three phases on March 27, April 1 and April 6. The results will be announced on May 2.