Cattle smuggling taking place in Assam under state protection: Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel

GUWAHATI: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday launched a scathing attack against his Assam counterpart Sarbananda Sonowal, alleging that cattle smuggling is taking place in the state under administrative protection.

The BJP governments at the Centre and Assam are run by "double engines pulling each other in opposite directions affecting development", the senior Congress leader said.

"It is unfortunate that Sonowal's five-year 'dummy government' has created a dangerous situation with cattle smuggling taking place under the protection of the state government," he told reporters here.

Baghel claimed that beef consumption has increased in Bangladesh by 211 per cent between 2016 and 2018 due to the continuous supply of cattle to the neighbouring country.

He said besides cattle smuggling, strong syndicates are also operating for the supply of coal, stones, bamboo, betel leaves and nuts and even fish.

The BJP had promised to create 2 crore jobs but unemployment has grown by over 4 lakh from 2016-2020 and the situation has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic period, he said.

The Sonowal government has failed to increase the minimum daily wages of tea garden workers but Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has already announced that the party will increase it to Rs 365, Baghel said.

"The Congress waived farm loans within two hours of coming to power in Chhattisgarh.

We fulfil our promises.

The time has come to bid farewell to the Sonowal government," Baghel said.

Chhattisgarh has shown that when money is put into the pockets of the common people, the wheel of development moves forward and there is no recession.

This model will be implemented in Assam, he said.

The people of Assam are regretting that they had voted the BJP to power and "our alliance of six parties will form the next government", Baghel added.

Election to the 126-member assembly is due in March- April.