GUWAHATI: Union Minister and BJP candidate in Dibrugarh, Sarbananda Sonowal, expressed confidence on Sunday in the party securing a third term and reaching the 400-seat target set for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Speaking about the Citizenship Amendment Act, the former Assam CM said that it won't impact the identity of indigenous people in the state and accused the Congress of deliberately spreading false news to create an atmosphere of fear.
Excerpts from the interview:
What is your sense of the elections this time in Assam and the country?
The people are seeing transformations that were not present under the 60-year rule of the Congress. The BJP ensured this development through its commitment, dedication and honest efforts.
Now, India holds the position of fifth largest economy under the BJP, whereas India stood in tenth place when the Congress was in power. This massive growth was achieved only because of PM Modi's governance.
I believe that’s the reason why people are very happy. No matter which party is in power in the state, the BJP's universal policy of 'Sabka saath, Sabka vikash' worked. People’s happiness will be reflected in this election. That’s why, we are saying very confidently, 'Iss baar 400 paar'.
How does it feel to contest the election from Dibrugarh considering that your maiden entry into parliament was from this seat?
This is homecoming. When you are a member of a national political party, you have to be committed all the time and be ready to serve in any part of the country. So, I feel there is nothing exceptional.
Dibrugarh has a lot of Adivasi voters. Do you have any worries that you replaced your colleague and incumbent MP, Rameswar Teli, who is an Adivasi, as the candidate?
I have no worries because we are all members of a the same party. Whatever the party decides, you have to follow it. There are distinctive policies in our party and we always admire, adopt and implement them. That’s why, I was made the chief minister the last time and then, a central minister. We have to respect the party’s decisions.
The critics say the BJP had won the last two polls riding on Modi’s popularity but that popularity has now waned. So, is the 400-seat target a realistic number?
The 400-seat target is the number set for the NDA. While the target for the BJP alone is set at 370 seats. We have powerful allies; it is possible. I believe the credibility of the BJP and its allies is being witnessed by the people of the country.
People’s marks will be in favour of us because they have seen Congress for 60 years when there was misrule, bad governance, corrupt practices and communal, family, parochial and divide-and-rule politics, which ultimately made the country weak.
India is a very resourceful country with a 1.4 billion population, but it was compelled to take the back seat in terms of development because there was a lack of policies, vision and credible leadership under Congress rule.
For Congress, it is always family first before the nation's development and that is the key difference between the Congress and the BJP.
The BJP is genuinely a party with a difference. With the BJP, the poorest of the poor have also been taken on board. PM Modi has given special status to the border villages and made them the first villages of the country.
How do you view the CAA? You had challenged the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act or IMDT Act and the Supreme Court repealed it. Have you compromised on your position on the issue?
Not at all. CAA is a national law which will allow religiously persecuted persons (from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan) to live in the country and the whole nation will take the burden of it, not just Assam. The Congress misinterpreted it and spread false propaganda to get political benefits.
CAA is not going to impact the identity of indigenous people. IMDT was dangerous because it was meant only for Assam and the people of the state were not taken into confidence before this Act was put into action. IMDT was discriminatory, unconstitutional and undemocratic. It was compared with foreign invasions.
If IMDT were there today, no suspected foreigner could have been identified. Its provisions were dangerous because the onus of proof lied on the complainant, although there was a law, the Foreigners Act 1946, to detect illegal migrants. That’s why the IMDT was challenged in the apex court, which struck it down.
Can the Ram temple consecration make any difference for the BJP in this election?
Ram temple was a long-standing expectation of the people of the country. Rama is a reflection of Indian civilization, justice, social security, equality and human values.
The construction of the temple has made people very happy. Millions of them rushed to the spot during and after the temple’s consecration and paid their respect.
This has connected (people) spiritually and culturally. I believe people are happy. This will create a very good ecosystem in their mindset to talk positively about the BJP rule.