Written by Asim Kamal
Slamming the BJP for its criticism of his get together’s alliance with the AIUDF for the upcoming state polls, Congress’ Assam unit chief Ripun Bora on Monday stated there was nothing fallacious in aligning with the Badruddin Ajmal-led outfit because it was not communal and can’t be considered an “untouchable”.
Bora additionally stated that “winds of change” had been blowing in Assam and expressed confidence that the Congress, together with its allies — the All India United Democratic Entrance (AIUDF), the CPI, the CPI(M), the CPI(ML) and the Anchalik Gana Morcha — will win over 101 out of the 126 Meeting seats within the polls probably in March-April.
In an interview with PTI, Bora stated it was not the Congress’ conference to announce a chief ministerial face upfront and the get together will determine on who would be the chief minister solely after elections.
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief lashed out on the BJP for attacking the Congress over its alliance with the AIUDF, saying that whereas the BJP had previously aligned with the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, it was questioning the Congress’ tie-up with the Ajmal-led get together.
“The BJP individuals aligned with the PDP which doesn’t settle for the Indian flag. Aligning with that get together will not be an offence, however the Congress aligning with the AIUDF in Assam is an offence,” he requested.
In Assam, the BJP is sharing energy with the AIUDF in at the very least three Zila Parishad districts, Bora argued.
“What’s the hurt in aligning with the AIUDF, they aren’t unconstitutional, they aren’t untouchable. How will you say they’re communal. When you respect your individual faith, you aren’t communal. The BJP is communal,” he alleged.
The BJP is targeted on communalisation, however for the individuals of Assam, the principle concern is to save lots of the state due to the way in which the BJP and the RSS have attacked the identification, tradition and heritage of Assam by the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Bora stated.
The CAA goes to destroy your entire social cloth of Assam, it is going to divide the individuals and create communal disturbance in addition to battle between totally different castes, communities and religions within the state, he alleged, including that the CAA won’t serve any objective for the individuals.
“The CAA will deliver menace to the language and to the existence of the tradition of the individuals of Assam. Due to this fact, regardless that the BJP has declared that after elections they will implement the CAA, however we within the Congress have stated that after the election if our Congress get together involves energy, we won’t permit the implementation of the CAA in Assam,” Bora stated.
On Sunday at a rally right here, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had additionally stated his get together will defend each precept of the Assam Accord and won’t let the CAA be carried out if voted to energy within the upcoming meeting polls.
Bora additionally hit out on the BJP over the problem of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) for Assam, saying it has been an extended standing demand of Assam however the BJP has stopped the NRC after last publication.
The Congress’ stand is evident that the NRC, the ultimate record which has come out with 3.11 crore individuals of Assam, must be accepted, Bora stated.
“Secondly, aspect by aspect we now have stated that 19 lakh names which aren’t there, all of them usually are not foreigners, most of them are Indians, we now have demanded that these individuals as per the rule of NRC must be given a chance of interesting earlier than court docket in order that they will show themselves as Indian residents,” he stated.
Requested when the seat sharing association between the Congress and its allies can be finalised, Bora stated he can’t share the main points of inner deliberations however will probably be sealed quickly.
Some small disputes and variations are there which can be sorted out, he stated.
Bora additionally stated the alliance will “very quickly” come out with an enchantment to the individuals elaborating the problems for which the six events have come on a standard platform, including that the CPI(M) has some reservations about calling it a ‘widespread minimal programme’.
Requested if a chief ministerial face can be introduced, Bora stated the Congress conference is that it doesn’t undertaking a CM.
“It’s a get together of inner democracy. So the get together will determine who can be chief minister solely after elections, that’s the democratic means. It’s not solely the case with Assam however in different states additionally the get together has adopted this,” he asserted.
On the Congress’ possibilities within the upcoming Meeting polls, he stated the “winds of change are blowing” within the state and there’s a “super undercurrent” in favour of the Congress and its allies.
“Individuals are petrified of popping out brazenly (in opposition to the BJP) as they’re being threatened and blackmailed that in the event you go along with the Congress you’ll not get advantages,” he alleged.
Accusing the BJP of creating false guarantees, Bora stated the individuals of Assam are feeling a “sense of betrayal”, realising that the ruling get together has solely been making “false guarantees”.
The six party-alliance won’t simply get a transparent majority however is assured of getting 101 plus seats, Bora stated.
The APCC has introduced that it’s going to contest the forthcoming state polls in alliance with 5 events the AIUDF, the CPI, the CPI(M), the CPI(ML) and the Anchalik Gana Morcha to oust the ruling BJP from energy.
