GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of lying and making statements against him "without basis".
Rubbishing Modi's claim that the state had not given account of Rs 1.8 lakh crore to the Comptroller and Auditor General, the chief minister said, "This is just a lie. I never got so much money from the Centre in my entire tenure. I challenge him to prove it. The PM is making statement without any basis."
The CAG has never said there is any misappropriation of funds in Assam. It has only said that some funds are being utilised and they suggested some corrections. If the Assam government is misusing funds then why was the Centre sending more money without reducing the state's share as claimed by the Prime Minister in his rallies, he told reporters.
"Have you ever seen a PM making statements with lies, lies, lies and full of lies? I have not seen it in the world.
He has lowered the dignity of the PM's post. There should be a limit of telling lies by a PM.
"Modi alleges that there has only been destruction in Assam in the last 15 years. That means, the condition of Assam was better in 2001 and it has worsened since then," he added.
Referring to the issue of infiltration raised by BJP, he said it is the Centre's duty to stop it and it was the Congress government which took up fencing and installing flood-lights on the Indo-Bangla border.
"When (L K) Advani was the (union) home Minister, why did you (BJP) not do anything? What have you done in the last two years? They (BJP) raise this issue every time before election.
They raised it in 2014 Lok Sabha polls also," he said.
Gogoi also questioned Modi over his silence on withdrawal of special category status.
"If you care for Assam so much then why was there nothing for the state in the Budget? Now you are announcing everything for Assam.
"What have you done in the last 22 months? You sought 60 months for India's development," he said, adding there was only price rise and inflation