Assam Assembly Election 2021: Ensured peace and development, says Shah; Priyanka accuses BJP of 'functioning like mafia'

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday addressed rallies in Dhemaji and Maujli in Assam and said that BJP’s priority of development and security has changed the state in the last five years.

He also said all clauses of the Bodo Accord signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Government last year will be implemented within two-and-a-half years.

If Congress comes to power, Shah claimed, infiltration and terrorism would increase. “Congress party’s policy is to “quarrel, break and rule” whereas BJP believes in “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,” Shah said in Dhemaji.

Meanwhile, addressing more rallies in Dibrugarh and Jorhat, BJP president JP Nadda said that since NDA came to power “it changed the face of Assam” and that BJP has been at the forefront of contributing to the state’s progress. This, he said, was prevented during Congress regime who “neglected the region, preventing the wheel of development here.”

Meanwhile the Election Commission on Monday banned ''bike rallies'' 72 hours before the date of polling and on the polling day in all election-going constituencies amid reports that "anti-social elements" use motorbikes to intimidate voters.

In a directive issued to chief electoral officers of poll-bound West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry, the poll body pointed out that it has been brought to its notice that "in some places bikes are used by anti-social elements to intimidate the voters before the poll day and/or on poll day."

After considering the reports, the commission has decided that "bike rallies shall not be allowed at any place 72 hours before the date of the poll or on the poll day in all poll-going constituencies," the directive said.

The EC also asked its chief electoral officers to inform all stakeholders concerned, including candidates, political parties and the Commission's observers, to ensure strict compliance with the directions.

Elections to the five assemblies will begin on 27 March and the counting of votes will take place on 2 May.

'BJP ensured peace and development in Assam'

Shah on Monday said BJP has ensured peace and development in Assam during the last five years and alleged that this was in contrast to violence and instability during the Congress rule.

Addressing the first of three election rallies in Assam during the day, Shah in Jonai alleged that five years ago when Congress was in power, there was agitation, violence, bomb blasts, deaths and curfews were common.

"Aatankwad ka nanga naach charo aur chal rahi thi (there was the naked dance of insurgency was going on all around).

"Rahul Gandhi talks of protecting Assam's 'asmita' (pride and identity), but today I want to ask him publicly - will Congress do it with AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal on his lap?" he said.

If by chance Ajmal comes to power, "will Assam be safe from infiltrators? Do people want more infiltrators to come into the state?" he asked.

He also accused the Congress of a policy of divide and rule, while stating that BJP's policy is 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas'.

The Congress has created a rift between Assamese and Bengalis, plains and hills and Upper and Lower Assam, while the "BJP has taken all smaller communities together and bonded them through development," Shah claimed.

"This is an election for people to decide whether they want peace and development... This is an election for not electing MLAs or a Chief Minister but to ensure that development continues and Assam's pride and glory is further enhanced," he said.

He further asserted that it was evident from the enthusiasm of the people that the BJP was going to form the government for a second consecutive term in Assam.

Besides Jonai, Shah addressed an election rally at Majuli from where Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal is contesting for a second consecutive term, and at Udalguri.

He was scheduled to attend a meeting of party workers at Guwahati in the evening, but the helicopter in which Union Home Minister was scheduled to travel from Udalguri to Guwahati developed a technical snag forcing him to take the road on Monday, as per PTI report.

'Govt to implement all clauses of Bodo accord in 30 months'

In another election rally earlier today at Udalguri under the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), Shah said all clauses of the Bodo Accord signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Government last year will be implemented within two-and-a-half years.

He said that after the signing of the Accord, it was decided that all insurgents will lay down arms and the centre will ensure the all-round development of the region.

''Each promise made by the central and state government in the Bodo Accord will be fulfilled and all clauses implemented within two-and-a-half years. We want peace and development in Bodo areas'', he said.

Bodo youths instead of ''picking up guns must use the computer to compete globally and instead of using hand grenades, should contribute to developing the nation,'' Shah said.

The prime minister is always concerned about Assam's development and of the Bodoland Territorial Region and ''it is due to his initiative that peace has prevailed in the area.

During Congress rule more that five thousand people were killed in violence in the Bodoland but Congress leaders 'rajniti ke roti sekte rahe' (kept baking their political bread)''.

"The Congress, Bodo People's Front led by Hagrama Mohilary and AIUDF's Badruddin Ajmal have come together. Can they bring peace and development in the region'', he asked rhetorically.

The centre has already announced a development package of Rs 5,000 crore and out of this Rs 750 crore has been already sanctioned for 65 schemes for BTR while surrendered youths have been given Rs 4.5 lakh each so far. Bodo language too has been declared an associate language by the state government.

The Bodo Accord was signed in January 2020 between the centre, the state and Bodo organisations, including the four factions of the NDFB.

Taking a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's recent visit to the state, the Union Minister said that for Rahul ''a visit to the state is like a picnic. He came and met the tea garden workers. For four generations, they did nothing for them but now they are talking about increasing their wages''.

It is the BJP government that has taken several steps for their welfare which include providing financial help to pregnant workers, nutrition, opening bank accounts for them, and during the last five years, their wages have been increased 2.5 times while Rs 1000 crore has been allocated separately for their welfare in this year's Union budget, the BJP leader said.

'Congress just like elephant'

BJP national president J P Nadda on Monday mocked the Congress, comparing it with an elephant having two sets of teeth: "one to show off and another to chew".

Addressing an election rally at Tingkhong in the Dibrugarh district, Nadda also accused Congress of practising "politics of opportunism" and said Assam will head into "darkness" if the opposition party is voted to power.

"The Congress' only aim is the politics of opportunism. They are with the Muslim League and fighting against the CPI(M) in Kerala, but joined hands with it in West Bengal and Assam...," Nadda said.

"Like a tusker, the Congress has two sets of teeth – one to show off and another to chew. It says something and always does the opposite... It is dividing the society," the senior BJP leader said.

Repeatedly attacking Congress, he said the opposition party "means darkness", while the BJP stands for development.

"If you need darkness, then go with the Congress. But if you need development, hold the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Nadda said at the rally.

The Congress has neglected Assam and the northeast since Independence, and did nothing to develop the region, he alleged.

"Because of Congress' double standard, the wheels of development had totally stopped. It attacked the civilisation of Assam, sidelining the state's culture. But, BJP brought development and protected Assam's culture and language," Nadda said.

The Opposition party never gave any importance to the safety of Assamese people, including not solving the Bodo problems for 50 years, he claimed.

Attacking the Congress-AIUDF alliance, Nadda said former chief minister Tarun Gogoi never allied with the Badruddin Ajmal-led party, but his son has now embraced the AIUDF.

"This is nothing but opportunism. How are you going to protect the Assamese culture? By joining hands with Ajmal?" the BJP chief said.

'BJP functioning like mafia, running syndicates'

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday alleged the ruling BJP in Assam was functioning like a mafia and running syndicates. Addressing election rallies in poll-bound Assam, the AICC general secretary said the BJP's only policy is to benefit the party and not people.

"BJP is not a political party in Assam ... (it) is functioning like a mafia organisation running syndicates of supari, fish, coal, land." Priyanka said. In an apparent dig at Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and "one of his powerful minister", the Congress leader alleged that the two are "not even respected in their own party".

"In the prime minister's election rallies you must have noticed he sometimes takes the name of one in some meetings or the name of the other at other times. Their remote controls are in Delhi," she said. The Congress leader compared Assam's BJP leadership with 'Dhritarashtra' and 'Shakuni', characters in the epic Mahabharata, without naming whom she meant.

Dhritarashtra was a blind king known to be a weak ruler while Shakuni was a political manipulator.

"...in the Assam government, there is a Shakuni Mama- like leader and a Dhritarashtra. Both of them and the BJP have betrayed the people of Assam." She alleged that the other leader is like "Shakuni Mama who runs a corrupt government that only cheats people".

Continuing her attack on the ruling party, Priyanka claimed, "BJP has not been able to decide who will be the chief minister. They are not able to respect their own chief minister and spell out the name. If there is no stability and unity in the party, then how will it give a stable government to people?"

With inputs from PTI