BJP promoting hatred, Congress will repeal CAA — Rahul Gandhi

Guwahati, March 19 (IANS): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of “promoting hatred to divide society” and reiterated that if his party is voted to power in Assam it would ensure that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) is not enforced in the state.

Addressing election rallies and participating in various poll-related events, including an interaction with college students in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia in eastern Assam, Gandhi said the BJP is spreading hatred to create divisions among people and in the society.

“Nafrat (hatred) would increase unemployment. If joblessness increased, the ‘Nafrat’ would also amplify. Congress always curbs ‘Nafrat’, but BJP tries to boost it,” said Gandhi, who from Friday began his two-day election campaign in Assam.

Claiming that there is “one force in Nagpur that is trying to control the entire country”, the Congress leader urged the youth to “resist this attempt with love and confidence as they happen to be the future of the country”.

The former Congress president and Lok Sabha member is scheduled to release the party’s election manifesto in the State on Saturday.

He said that if the Congress came to power at the centre in the next elections, the party-led government would nullify the CAA. “Twenty years ago, Assam was hit by violence, but after the Congress came into the state government it at once ensured peace, harmony and development. BJP ka kaam hai todna, hamaara kaam hai jodna (BJP’s task is to divide but our job is to unite people),” Gandhi said.

He asserted that Assam’s resources and wealth must be utilised for the benefit of the Assamese. He asked the people: “Can you name a scheme started by the BJP? The Congress government in Chhattisgarh promised to waive off farm loans and our government did it very rapidly. We have a record of not making fake and empty promises. The Congress gives guarantees and fulfils this without wasting much time. The priority of the party if voted to power would be to first fill up vacant posts and focus on sectors like health and education for creating new jobs. The BJP is creating a big problem privatising education. Education should not be commercialised as it is a fundamental right of the people.”

Gandhi said that there are certain sectors for privatisation, but not education and health sectors.

In Assam, the Congress has given “five guarantees” to be fulfilled if the party came to power. These “five guarantees” include five lakh government jobs to youths in five years, upto 200 units of free electricity per household, INR 365 daily wage to tea garden workers and INR 2,000 per month to housewives besides the guarantee not to implement the CAA in the state.

The Congress, which was in power in the state for 15 years (2001-2016) until the BJP-led alliance came to power in Assam in the last assembly polls in 2016, has formed a “Mahagathbandhan” or “Mahajot” with three Left parties — CPI (M), CPI and CPI (ML) — along with the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), the Anchalik Gana Morcha, Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) along with two community-based parties – Jimochayan (Deori) People’s Party (JDPP) and Adivasi National Party (ANP).

The 126-member Assam Assembly will go to the polls in three phases on March 27 (47 seats), April 1 (39 seats) and April 6 (40 seats). The results will be declared on May 2.