Congress, BJP spar over Rajnath's cancelled Assam visit

The BJP Sunday alleged that union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had to cancel his Assam visit over the state government's inability to provide him security but the ruling Congress refuted the charges.

Newly elected president of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Assam unit, Siddhartha Bhattacharyya, claimed that Rajnath Singh had to cancel his scheduled visit to the state Sunday due to state government's inability to provide security.

Refuting Bhattacharyya's charges, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said the union home ministry did not send any itinerary to the state government regarding the visit of Rajnath Singh.

"The BJP is making blatant lies that our government did not give the go-ahead to the union home minister to visit Assam on security grounds.

"The home ministry did not send any itinerary to the state government regarding the visit of Rajnath Singh to Assam. Where does then the question of not providing security and other paraphernalia to the home minister arise?" he said.

"If the BJP is in possession of the official communique, let it disclose to the public. Or else the party must tender an unconditional apology to the people of the state," said Gogoi.

He said the law and order was gradually improving along Nagaland border and the situation was not so volatile that the union home minister cannot visit the state.

"I have been all along saying that Rajnath Singh should come to Assam to take stock of the situation along the inter-state border or else he could depute a minister of state or senior official of his ministry.

"Following the improvement in the law and order situation, many political leaders, individuals and organisations are making a beeline to the border areas," he said.

It was the duty of the state government to make all security arrangements for any visiting central minister or dignitary and it would not shirk from its responsibility, the chief minister added.

Meanwhile, Assam Police headquarters, in a statement, made it clear that police have not received any communication regarding the visit of Rajnath Singh to Assam.

"Assam Police is always ready, at any time, to provide security to any visiting dignitary. Assam Police, in fact, has been rendering security to all VVIPs/VIPs at any time," the statement said.