Guwahati, Oct 17: Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah on Wednesday said the Congress party is not afraid of any attacks on its leaders and workers allegedly by the ruling BJP in the lead-up to the by-elections in five assembly constituencies in the State.
Addressing a press conference at Rajiv Bhawan in Guwahati, Borah referred to the history of violence, highlighting figures like Manabendra Dev Sarma, Lekhon Lahon, and Rohiteswar Saikia, whose killers, according to Borah, are now part of the BJP-led government.
“Congress relies on the people’s verdict. The election is about the people’s choice. However, the BJP of not trusting this democratic process, resorting instead to violence, such as attacks using stones and sticks, to intimidate opponents,” Borah claimed.
The Congress leader highlighted that, in the past, Congress leaders were targeted with guns, and now BJP supporters are allegedly using stones, swords, and sticks.
“Congress is focused on addressing the BJP’s failures, particularly their inability to deliver on the promises made in their Vision Document during their eight years in power,” he said and pointed to unresolved issues such as the wages of tea workers and the growing unemployment problem, mentioning that 32 lakh youth applied for 12,632 posts, but only 1 lakh will secure jobs, leaving the rest in uncertainty. “These issues will be central to the by-election campaign as we will raise them on public platforms,” he said.
The Congress leader also criticized the BJP for failing to deliver on their pledge of making Assam flood-free by constructing express highways along the Brahmaputra River and politicizing the recurring flash floods in Guwahati.
Borah also raised concerns over Assam’s increasing debt under BJP rule and pointed out that Assam’s debt was Rs 42,000 crore from Independence until 2016, but under the BJP’s eight years in power, the debt has skyrocketed to Rs 1.10 lakh crore.
“The previous Sarbananda Sonowal government borrowed Rs 6,000 crore, while the current Himanta Biswa Sarma government borrowed Rs 44,000 crore. In contrast, when the Congress-led Tarun Gogoi government borrowed Rs 10,000 crore, the BJP criticized it by publishing a white paper,” he said.
Responding to the BJP’s claim of victory in Samaguri, Borah stated that all political parties naturally express confidence in their chances during elections. He reaffirmed that Congress is also confident in its prospects, but emphasized that the final decision lies with the people, urging everyone to wait for the public’s verdict.
On the issue of social media control and foreign influence, Borah remarked that while authorities have the power to act if rules are violated, it is not appropriate to speculate without concrete information. He suggested that discussions based on assumptions are difficult to address.
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