GUWAHATI, June 19 - The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) castigated BJP president Amit Shah for not uttering a single word regarding the ongoing floods in the State during his day-long Guwahati trip today.
�At a time when six districts of Assam are reeling under floods and 12 persons have died and lakhs rendered homeless, Shah came to Assam and left after attending political events. He expressed no desire to visit the flood-affected people or share their grief and take stock of their problems. This proves once again that BJP and its leaders are only interested in gaining electoral advantage and have no concern for the people of Assam,� said APCC president Ripun Bora at a press conference here.
He added that the Centre has not bothered to extend any help to the flood-hit people.
Bora said after last year�s floods, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to extend special package of Rs 2,000 crore to the State but so far only Rs 40 crore has been realised.
Earlier, Bora presided over a function at the Rajib Bhawan here during which former KMSS leader Kamal Kumar Medhi, former minister Rajendra Musahary, serving MCLAs of BTAD Robert Narzary and Mominul Islam, former MLA Andreas Hajowary and around 500 other leaders and workers from the BPF, the AIUDF and other organisations formally joined the Congress.
The event was held to coincide with the 48th birthday of Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
�Today divisiveness, authoritarianism and communal tendencies are on the rise and there is a threat to the Constitution and secular fabric of India. People are beginning to understand the falsehood and lies propagated by the BJP and they are again starting to look at the Congress as the only viable alternative,� Bora said, while welcoming the new members.
Speaking on the occasion, Medhi said, �When the Congress was in power, I myself went thrice to jail while opposing the government. But now, we have all realised how dangerous the BJP is. My decision to join the Congress is to ensure that secular forces become strong and remove the BJP from power.� Musahary, in his speech, said the Congress party can win at least eight of the 12 Assembly seats from the BTAD region with proper planning.
