Sonia Gandhi launches offensive against Modi in Assam, says BJP's communal politics controlled from Nagpur

Sarukhetry (Assam): Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making grandiose statements during his visits abroad while “spreading hatred” at home, and cautioned voters in Assam against BJP’s “communal politics controlled from Nagpur”. “Modiji jab videsh jaate hain toh sabko gale lagate hain aur awam ko lekar badi badi batein karte hain par desh mein wapas aakar nafrat failate hain (when he goes abroad he embraces all and talks big about the nation, but on returning he is engaged in spreading hatred),” Gandhi told an election rally in Lower Assam’s Sarukhetry in Barpeta district. [caption id=“attachment_2717624” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A file photo of Sonia Gandhi. PTI[/caption] “The danger of communalism is looming large over Assam as the BJP is engaged in spreading communalism and dividing the society which has thrived for ages on the principles of love, peace and harmony,” Gandhi said. “Assam is a shining example of harmony with its people following the teachings of Sankardeva and Azaan Fakir. Modiji and his ministers are moving across the state making false promises and creating divide among the people,” she said. “BJP’s communal politics is controlled from Nagpur and this is a grave danger to democracy,” the Congress President said. She said the development plan of Congress had always included people of all religions, castes and creeds and they had taken all parties along. “Congress jodne ka kam karte hain, BJP todne ka (Congress does the work of uniting while BJP of breaking,” she said. Gandhi alleged that BJP had no faith in the Constitution or democracy as was evident from “their plan to destabilise the Congress government of Assam and removal democratically elected governments in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.” “The Prime Minister is keen to stifle our voice and has not stopped from attacking the Constitution. He has forgotton our nation’s traditions,” she said. “They have forgotten our ‘Ganga-Jamuna parampara’ and have made a mockery of our traditions,” she said adding, that “the truth is that they have only one agenda to fool and divide the country by giving false promises and coining new slogans and advertisements.” Fifteen years ago Assam was faced with insecurity, instability and violence and it was Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and his ministers who toiled hard to bring peace, development and progress in the state, Gandhi said. Educational institutions for youths, employment to lakhs of people under MGNREGA, 30 per cent reservation for women, schemes for development of the girl child, improvement in the health sector are some of major initiatives taken by the Assam government under the Congress. “It is the chief minister and the Congress members who have brought ‘parivartan’ (change) in Assam. Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s dedication and keen interest also ensured development of the state,” she added. The Congress leader also paid her tributes to former President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, who hailed from Barpeta, along with other freedom fighters of the district and appealed the people to vote for the ruling party of the state so that the process of development and progress continued.