GUWAHATI, Aug 9 - Lambasting the opposition Congress, Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today said that the BJP-led State Government does not believe in the policy of �appeasement� of any particular community for the sake of vote bank but is instead committed to work towards political inclusiveness, administrative justice and public participation in the governance process.
Replying to the General Discussion on the Budget in the Legislative Assembly, Sarma launched a scathing criticism of the Congress, prompting MLA Ajanta Neog to allege that she has been subjected to personal attack and stage a walkout, even as legislators from the BJP and its alliance partners repeatedly cheered his speech by thumping of desk.
He also called upon all the MLAs in the House to join hands and be a part of what he termed as �Team Assam�. �Political inclusiveness will be our guiding principle... We believe in political inclusiveness but without resorting to vote bank politics... We do not believe in the policy of appeasement,� he said.
The minister said the first Budget of the BJP-led government in Dispur has focused on providing equal opportunities for all communities. �The policy of appeasement has hurt the State all these years. We want to move beyond that,� he said.
To criticism by some MLAs that nothing substantial has been announced in the budget for the minorities, Sarma said that when the government announced that it will provide Rs 1.2 crore to all revenue villages it was done with the view that all people, irrespective of caste, creed or community, will be able to progress and there will be development in the rural sector.
�Muslims constitute over 30 per cent of Assam population. As such, how can you consider Muslims to be minorities? There is no other community in Assam who on its own comprises 30 per cent of the population. Muslims of Assam do not want cheap politics. We want to give them treatment and benefits on par with everybody else,� the minister said.
The Finance Minister added the State Government has already started implementing many of the budget announcements. He said following discussion with Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu, HUDCO has decided to extend Rs 2.5 lakh subsidy as part of the Rs 6 lakh housing loan from the Centre to the State Government employees.
