Stop canards against Congress, Manmohan: Gogoi to Sonowal

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday dared union minister Sarbananda Sonowal to come out with a white paper on what the previous NDA government and the present Narendra Modi government did for Assam instead of spreading canards against former prime minister Manmohan Singh and the Congress.

Gogoi's statement came a day after Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Sonowal hailed Modi's visit to Assam, particularly to Kokrajhar.

Sonowal, who is also the state BJP chief, said sufficient funds will come to areas under the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in the coming budget session of parliament.

After Modi's visit, Gogoi slammed the prime minister for not announcing any fiscal package for the Bodo areas.

"Sonowal, instead of unleashing a misinformation campaign against former prime minister Manmohan Singh and the present Congress government in Assam, must come out with a white paper as to what the previous BJP-led NDA government headed by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the present dispensation headed by Narendra Modi did for Assam during its almost eight years in power," Gogoi said on Thursday.

"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.

"People can witness the development... like roads, health and education. The state has surpassed even big states like Gujarat in some key parameters," Gogoi said.

Gogoi said the Modi government, after its failure to usher in 'acchhe din' (good days), has been trying to divert people's attention by spreading false propaganda against the Congress government in Assam.

"Modi had promised that he 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, lowering the Subansiri dam, granting ST status to six ethnic communities, etc.," he said.

If Modi has so much of love and concern for the people of Assam, then why has his government deprived the state of Special Category status, Gogoi asked Sonowal.

He also asked why he put under suspension the North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIPP), changed the funding pattern of centrally sponsored schemes and slashed funds from the DoNER ministry.

Gogoi also asked Modi why he did not find time to take stock of the people of Assam during the floods in 2014 and 2015.