Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in Guwahati on Saturday that the spirit of the Assam Accord should not be violated and accused the Narendra Modi government of pushing the State back to the path of violence.
“The Assam Accord laid the foundation for peace in the State. We strongly believe that the true spirit of the Assam Accord should not be violated because it had brought peace to the State, and it was chalked out by all,” he said at the meeting to mark the Congress’s foundation day.
Mr. Gandhi accused the BJP of attempting to attack and alter Assam’s culture. “Assam will not be administered from Nagpur. Assam will not be run by “RSS ke Chaddiwale”. It will be ruled only by the people of Assam,” he said in his speech delivered in Hindi.
He said the BJP had failed to understand not only the people of Assam but also those of the entire north-eastern region. The Congress opposed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Parliament and would ensure that it harmed no Indian citizen.
Mr. Gandhi said he had always maintained that if the BJP came to power in Assam, it would destroy the peace and harmony of the State. “I am pained to repeat that my words have come true.” He appealed to the people to maintain unity. “Assam cannot progress while treading on the path of hate and anger. We all have to unite and deliver a loud and clear message to the BJP leadership that it cannot attack your culture and history.”
Mr. Gandhi criticised the State governments under the BJP and the Union government for the violent police action against those who had protested against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The protesters should be dealt with love and understanding rather than bullets, he said. “Wherever the BJP comes to power, it spreads hatred. Youth are protesting in Assam as well as in other States. There was no need to fire at them and kill them. But the BJP people do not want to listen to the voice of my mothers and sisters. They are scared of your voice,” he said.
He said the economic collapse was the vital reason for the ongoing violence. The economy, which was growing at 9%, had come down to an abysmal level, he said, pushing the unemployment rate to a 45-year high. On Friday, he equated the government’s intent to bring in the National Register of Citizens with demonetisation. “With demonetisation and the faulty implementation of the GST, [Prime Minister] Narendra Modiji has broken the backbone of the economy. But he will never utter a word about the sinking economy. His only job is to spread hatred and cause division among the people,” Mr. Gandhi said.
