The Congress president on Friday took the BJP challenge head on, charging it with doing little to curb infiltration of illegal Bangladeshi migrants when the NDA was in power at the centre.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday took the BJP challenge head on, charging it with doing little to curb infiltration of illegal Bangladeshi migrants when the NDA was in power at the centre.
“I have seen them on TV, talking big on the issue of Bangladeshis.
But what measures did the BJP initiate when it was in power?” asked Gandhi, speaking at a rally in Guwahati.
She claimed the then NDA government did not give importance to infiltration when Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi had taken it up. “The chief minister of Assam took up the matter of sealing of the [Indo-Bangla] border with the then Union home minister [LK Advani] but they didn’t do anything. So, why are they pointing their fingers at us now?” she asked.
She further added that the BJP had done nothing for Assam when NDA was in power. “Know the face of politicians who make a brother fight against another brother,” she said without naming the BJP.
Gandhi also claimed that the UPA and the Gogoi government had taken strong measures to curb infiltration.
The BJP has been aggressive campaigning on the issue of Bangladeshis, in the run up to the April 11 second phase polls. Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in particular went hammer and tongs at the Congress accusing it of protecting the illegal Bangladeshi migrants for their votes.
In response, Gogoi said Modi had come to Assam to divide the state. “Modi and the BJP leaders are saying they will make Assam Bangladeshi-free if voted to power. There are no illegal Bangladeshi migrants in the state,” Gogoi, who spoke ahead of Gandhi, said. He dubbed BJP’s campaign against the migrants as “propaganda”.
Continuing with her attack, Sonia said this was not time to get misled by people whose main aim was to grab power. “Vote for the Congress and help it win all seats,” she said.
Trinamool attacks Cong: Bengali cine stars and Trinamool Congress MPs Tapas Paul and Shatabdi Roy attacked on Friday the ruling Congress in Assam for corruption and urged people of the state to overthrow the present government. — With PTI inputs
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