BJP questions Congress's commitment towards Assam

BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad Sunday questioned the sincerity of the Congress-led government at the Centre and in Assam towards development, saying no major industry was set up in the state in the last 10 years.

"Manmohan Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha MP from Assam since 1991, has been prime minister for the last 10 years, and Tarun Gogoi the chief minister for the last 12 years. I want to ask Gogoi why not a single industry was set up in the state in the last 10 years," the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said at a press conference here.

"No major power project was set up in the last 10 years even though Assam has been reeling under severe power crisis," he said.

The prime minister has adopted a step-motherly attitude towards Assam despite being a Rajya Sabha member from the state for over 24 years, he said.

"I have seen Gogoi often talking about the Gujarat model of development. I would like to tell the chief minister that 24,000 villages in Gujarat have electricity supply 24x7," Prasad said.

"Gujarat also has the lowest unemployment rate in the country, has 10 percent agricultural growth, higher than the country's agricultural growth rate.

"One can see the situation here. Modi has been a chief minister for 12 years, and Gogoi has also been CM for over 12 years," he said.

The BJP leader also questioned Congress chief Sonia Gandhi as to why the Assam government failed to implement the Assam Accord signed by her late husband Rajiv Gandhi in 1985.

"Tarun Gogoi often appreciates Madam Soniaji. One must know how many offices and institutes have been opened in Assam in the last 10 years," he said.

Stating that the northeast was "top priority" for the BJP, Prasad said the BJP manifesto has a chapter for the northeast.

"We are going to take measures to accelerate the pace of development in the region if our government comes to power (at the Centre)," he said.

The BJP will also make all grants for the northeast "non-lapsable".

"The BJP is fighting this election on the development agenda. Our issues are price rise, infrastructure development etc. The Congress has no answer for price rise. So they are trying to polarise this election by playing the secular and communal card," he said.