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BJP's 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' should be 'Jan Khyama Yatra': Congress

By PTI

Guwahati/Dibrugarh, Aug 23: Raking up past scam cases and alleged unfulfilled promises, the opposition Congress on Monday slammed the BJP and said their 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' (people's blessings' procession) should have been renamed 'Jan Khyama Yatra' (people's forgiveness procession).

Addressing a press conference at Dibrugarh, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Bhupen Borah alleged the BJP has failed to fulfil any of the promises it has made since it first came to power in the state in 2016.

"BJP should have named the 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' as 'Jan Khyama (Apology) Yatra' for not being able to fulfil their promises to the people of Assam. The BJP is avoiding its responsibilities and is trying to hide its failures," Borah said.

The three-day 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' of the BJP started on August 21 after Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal reached Guwahati.

"When he was President of the BJP state unit, Sonowal had promised that he would take action against those involved in Louis Berger and Saradha scams. What happened to those promises? What blessing is Sonowal seeking? Is it a blessing for not fulfilling his promises?" Borah taunted.

He pointed out Sonowal had promised to give Scheduled Tribe status to six indigenous communities, fully implement the National Register of Citizens and implement all clauses of the Assam Accord, and alleged that the Union Minister had "failed to keep even one promise".

"Will he speak about providing employment to the unemployed or reassure people on being able to control rising prices? the chief minister (Himanta Biswa Sarma) and the supply minister (Ranjeet Kumar Dass) have already admitted their inability to check price rise," Borah alleged.

He also alleged that Sonowal failed to take any concrete steps to check the perennial flood and erosion problem of the state and sought a reply from the Union Minster on this.

"The present CM Himanta Biswa Sarma himself said that the cattle syndicate (involved in smuggling cattle across international borders) is worth Rs 1,000 crore. Along with that supari smuggling (of betel-nuts from Myanmar) and drug smuggling are going on. Can Sonowal now say why he failed to combat these during his stint as the CM?" the senior Congress leader asked.

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