The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) traded sharp jibes on Wednesday during the high-stakes battle in Assam, where assembly elections are set to take place on April 9.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, during a campaign rally in Assam, accused the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government of corruption and claimed that a "mafia rule" prevails in the state.
The Congress leader, who represents Wayanad in Parliament, also referred to Zubeen Garg’s death, stating that demanding justice for a respected personality is a political responsibility, not opportunism. Priyanka Gandhi made these comments while speaking at a rally in Nazira, Assam.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of infiltrators and alleged that the Congress is the 'root cause of corruption.' Modi claimed that if the Congress comes to power in Assam, it will introduce a law to safeguard infiltrators. Speaking at a rally in Gogamukh in Dhemaji, the Prime Minister alleged that the Congress intends to "turn the majority community into a minority and establish a permanent vote bank of infiltrators."
Congress leaders are openly declaring that they will introduce a new law in Assam to safeguard infiltrators and are publicly backing them, Modi said."The Prime Minister said that for the Congress there are two dominant families—one based in Delhi and the other in Assam—and that both place their own family interests above those of the public, in an apparent reference to the Gandhi family and state Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi’s family.
He claimed that the Congress is against development and described it as the 'mother of corruption'. According to PTI, Modi further alleged that the party has betrayed Assam’s soul, pride, identity, and security.
Priyanka Gandhi criticizes Himanta government
Priyanka Gandhi sharply criticized the Assam government, accusing it of corruption and claiming that the state administration is functioning under a "mafia and syndicate" regime.
The Congress leader stated that the people of Assam were weary of the BJP government and wanted the state to rise again. "This is a corrupt government. People can see that everything is being carried out through intimidation. There is mafia rule, syndicate rule. I believe people are exhausted... They want the same Assam to rise that once existed. They want a new government dedicated solely to serving the public. People know that our leader is honest, and they want to bring him to the forefront," Priyanka Gandhi said.
Referring to renowned singer Zubeen Garg, who lost his life in a swimming-related incident, she stated that if the Congress government comes to power, it will ensure justice for the Assamese artist.The Congress administration is committed to ensuring justice for Zubeen Garg ji. Within 100 days of forming our government, we will secure justice for him. Today, all local ‘sons of the soil’ have been given temporary land titles. We will replace these temporary titles with permanent ones for 1 million local residents, she declared at a rally.
Assam is witnessing a straight fight for its 126-member assembly between the ruling BJP-led NDA and the Congress.