With Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Assam, the Congress on Friday posed a series of questions to the BJP, asking why the people of the State and the broader Northeast have been “politically orphaned.”
Taking a swipe at the BJP, Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said Shah's visit was a "welcome step" from a party that is known to ignore the sufferings of Northeast.
He said the Congress has 10 questions from the BJP's 10 years in power in Assam, and while there, the Home Minister must seek answers from his "disciple 'Bhumi-Bikreta' Himanta Biswa Sarma".
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised six months; Himanta Biswa Sarma promised five years. After 12 years, why is there still no Scheduled Tribe status for communities such as the Koch-Rajbongshi, Tai Ahom, Moran, Matak, Chutia, and Tea Tribes/Adivasi?” Khera asked in a post on X.
He also raised concerns over land policies, questioning the sale of 1.5 lakh bighas of land belonging to indigenous people, and alleged a lack of job opportunities prompting Assamese youth to migrate and face discrimination elsewhere.
Why is Assamese identity under erosion and why have lakhs of indigenous voters disappeared from electoral rolls, Khera further asked.
The Congress leader questioned as to why there is still no MSP for Assam's tea cultivators.
"After a decade in power, why does Assam still lag in healthcare? Does your government not care about the wellbeing of Assamese people? Why has poison entered Assam's waters? What concrete steps have you taken to improve water quality?" Khera said.
"You came with the slogan Jati, Mati, Bheti - yet you weakened the Jati, sold the Mati, and betrayed the Bheti.Why?" he said.
Why have the people of Assam - and the entire Northeast - been politically orphaned, Khera asked.
"Your foreign policy failures have handed Bangladesh closer to China, creating new security and humanitarian challenges for Assam.Why?" he said.
"We have full faith in your legendary ability to get answers to these questions. In the coming months, we will continue to look to you for many more such answers," Khera said.
This is Amit Shah's second visit, since December 29, to Assam, where the ruling BJP is aiming to retain power in the state for the third consecutive term in the upcoming assembly elections.
(With inputs from PTI)