Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

AIUDF Not Communal Party, Asserts Congress

By The Assam Tribune

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Jan 25: Congress today said that the AIUDF and Kerala’s Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) are not ‘communal’ parties and instead accused the BJP of tying up with ‘anti-India’ forces in Jammu & Kashmir in the past for the sake of power.

The Congress party also said that it has drawn a ‘Lakshman Rekha’ to which all other constituents of the ‘grand alliance’ will have to adhere to and any kind of ‘communal’ or ‘provocative’ remarks or actions by its partners will not be tolerated.

“Union Home Minister Amit Shah in his speech at Nalbari on Sunday termed the Congress party as communal because we have tied up with the IUML in Kerala and with the AIUDF in Assam. We want to tell him that the Indian Constitution has not declared Kerala’s IUML or Assam’s AIUDF as communal. The Election Commission has not categorized them (AIUDF and IUML) as communal. And the main thing is that these parties are not anti-India,” Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora said during a press conference here.

Bora further added that the BJP is till date running Zila Parishads in Darrang, Karimganj and Nagaon districts in alliance with the AIUDF.

Asked about the recent provocative remarks made by AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal during a public meeting at Gauripur, Bora said that the Congress has requested the other constituents of the six-party grand alliance not to make comments or statements which may hurt any community.

“But Ajmal has never made any anti-Hindu remarks. BJP has always attempted to incite hatred against Muslims. But the AIUDF has never made any comments to incite hatred against Hindus,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, APCC vice president and Lok Sabha MP Pradyut Bordoloi said that all constituents of the opposition alliance will have to adhere to some rules.

“AIUDF is a minor partner in the grand alliance. The alliance will be headed by the Congress. We will give respect to all the constituents of the grand alliance. But we have also decided to draw a Lakshman Rekha. The alliance will be based on a Common Minimum Programme. We think that the AIUDF has so far not made any communal statements. But the Congress will not tolerate if the AIUDF resorts to such kinds of actions in future,” Bordoloi said.

Next Story