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CM misleading people over visa issue: BJP

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, June 23 � The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Assam Pradesh, on Monday lambasted the Tarun Gogoi government for the delay in the NRC update and accused the Chief Minister of hatching a conspiracy to divert the attention of the public from this crucial issue.

Addressing media persons here at the party head office, senior leader Adip Phukan said that the Congress government in the State, which has always been following a policy of appeasement in regard to the Bangladeshis, has been trying to mislead the people by raising a hue and cry over a visa relaxation matter.

�Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi recently said that the Narendra Modi government was exploring possibilities to create an ambience for welcoming the Bangladeshis by allowing children and senior citizens entry into India without visa. Gogoi even said that the Centre has written to him on the matter seeking his opinion. We demand of Gogoi to make this letter public within 24 hours,� Phukan served an ultimatum to the Tarun Gogoi government.

Phukan reminded Gogoi that such an aspect of visa relaxation to Bangladeshis was discussed by the UPA government with the Bangladesh government and Gogoi himself was a part of this discussion.

�It is very unfortunate that Tarun Gogoi has sought to stoop so low. At a time when the Narendra Modi government is trying to expedite the NRC update by providing Rs 170 crore to the State, Tarun Gogoi, instead of facilitating the process, is misleading the people and trying to stall the NRC update,� said Phukan.

On the other hand, the saffron party made it clear that it will always take its stand against big dams. Referring to the Bhutan hydro-electric power project, the foundation of which was laid by Modi during his trip to the neighbouring nation, Phukan said that the project has been undertaken by the Bhutan government as part of the economic assistance that the UPA government extended to it in 2013.

�The Bhutan project is a medium-size dam, but we will still constitute a committee to study the downstream impact of the project on lower Assam, so that there is no chance of any risk to the State,� said Phukan, observing that Tarun Gogoi, who has become so vocal about the medium-size Bhutan dam now, should also raise his voice against the mega Subansiri dam.

�Gogoi should not adopt double standards on the issue of dams. If he is concerned about the Bhutan dam, he should equally be concerned about the Subansiri dam,� said Phukan, adding that the party will insist on 50 percent of power to the State from the Bhutan dam.

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