BJP slashes Cong's design to play with Assam's identity

New Delhi: Union minister Jitendra Singh on Friday said the BJP will leave no stone unturned to thwart the Congress party's design to play with the identity of Assam for the sake of vote-bank politics. He said the protection of Assam's civilisation is the first and most prominent highlight of the saffron party's manifesto for the upcoming Assembly polls in the State. "It is a fight to protect civilisation from the Congress's assault and the BJP will leave no stone unturned to thwart the Congress party's design to play with the identity of Assam simply for vote-bank politics," Singh told PTI.

Polling will be held in 47 Assembly seats of Assam in the first phase on Saturday, while 39 and 40 constituencies in the north eastern State will go to polls on April 1 and April 6 respectively. Singh, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), said the Congress, in its desperation, has gone to the extent of aligning with the "communal" outfit of Badruddin Ajmal, which is not only an affront to the people of Assam, but also to the legacy of the Congress leadership, represented by one of its tallest leaders, late Tarun Gogoi, who was always acutely sensitive about the civilisation and entity of the people of the State.

The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), headed by Ajmal, is considered to have a large base among Assam's about 35 per cent Muslim population. Singh, who is also the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) co-incharge for Assam, said the political interest of the people of the State will be sought to be guarded while protecting its civilisation. "For this, the BJP will favour a delimitation exercise to be undertaken in the State," he said. The entire region was at the receiving end of the annual floods happening year after year, but unfortunately, the Congress governments both at the Centre and in the State did not address the issue for decades, Singh alleged. The BJP government has decided to launch the "Mission Brahmaputra" with the intent of limiting the losses to lives, livelihood and property due to the floods, he said.