GUWAHATI: Announcing the Congress’s sixth 'guarantee' for poll-bound Assam on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi said the party-led grand alliance government would 'run Assam from Assam itself' even as Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused the grand old party of dividing people in the name of religion.
“The Congress has already announced its five guarantees. Today, I give you the sixth guarantee. We will run Assam from Assam itself, if the Mahajot is voted to power,” Gandhi told a crowd at a rally at Barkhetri in Assam.
He assured that there would not be any interference from New Delhi on the functioning of the Congress-led ten-party alliance government. A component of the alliance is the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), which has already asserted that it will back a Congress Chief Minister if the coalition grabs power.
The Congress’ previous five guarantees are nullifying the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in Assam, providing five lakh government jobs to youth over a period of five years, 200 units of free electricity per household, raising tea garden workers’ daily wage to Rs 365 from existing Rs 167 and Rs 2,000 monthly income support to all housewives.
Reiterating the party’s stand against CAA, Gandhi said, “The people don’t want CAA, which is an attack on Assam. It will divide and destroy the state and spread hatred. No power on earth can implement CAA in Assam”.
He also asserted that the Congress keeps its promises unlike the BJP, stating that the grand old party has a track record of fulfilling promises after winning elections.
Meanwhile, addressing a rally in Kamrup, Shah accused the Congress of making people fight in the name of religion and community.
“When we make provision for drinking water, it will also reach the houses of Muslims. Similarly, the minorities will get houses when we provide them to everyone,” Shah asserted.
Taking a jibe at the AIUDF, he reiterated that the BJP would not allow Assam to become a hub for infiltrators. The AIUDF is viewed by the BJP and right wing organisations as a sympathizer of illegal immigrants.