Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that if the grand old party comes to power after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, it would restore the special status for Assam.
Addressing an election rally at Khanapara here, Rahul said, “Congress party had given Special Status to Assam. Narendra Modi, RSS, BJP took that away from Assam. When we come back to power, Special Status for Assam will be restored.”
BJP-led Central government in 2015 scrapped the special category status of Assam. Under special category status the state’s share in centrally sponsored schemes is not made more than 10 per cent.
Coming down heavily on the saffron party, the Congress chief said that BJP government also did away with the Northeast Industrial Policy which was introduced to promote industries and create jobs in the region.
“Northeast Industrial Policy was introduced to promote industries and create jobs in Northeast. BJP stole that away too. We will bring it back and open all the paper mills that were shut down,” he pointed out.
Rahul also blamed BJP government for the death of over 150 tea garden community people by consuming liquor.
“Over 150 people lost their lives in Assam by consuming illicit liquor. The growing ignorance of the BJP government in Assam is costing people their lives,” he added.
Taking a dig at Modi for not fulfilling his promises, Rahul assured that the Congress will ensure minimum wages to the tea garden workers.
“Mr Modi promised several things to Assam’s tea gardens and it’s labourers, but did nothing. We will ensure minimum wage to the tea labourers. I have fulfilled all my promises and I will fulfill this as well,” said the Gandhi scion.
He said that Congress will ensure that no Indian citizen will be excluded from NRC if it voted to power.
“Shoddy implementation of NRC, use of NRC officials for campaigning purposes & the utter disregard for the thousands of Indian families that have been excluded from NRC, proves that the Modi govt. is only using this exercise for political purposes. We will ensure that no Indian will be left out of NRC,” the Congress president added.
He further alleged that in Northeast, there is an attack by RSS on history, language and lifestyle and added that RSS ideology has destroyed all the Northeast states.
Rahul alleged that BJP government has no plan to implement NRC and Assam Accord.
“By promising citizenship to illegal immigrants through the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, the BJP proves that it has no intent to execute NRC & Assam Accord and is only promoting its own vote bank politics in Northeast.
“The main reason why Northeast is rioting today is due to Citizenship Amendment Bill, which is anti-Northeast. Congress party stopped it in Rajya Sabha. We stood with you when you needed us,” he added.
During his trip to Assam, the Congress president visits Apollo Hospital in Guwahati to meet the injured protestors of the Arunachal Pradesh agitation.