Opposition slams Assam CM for ‘royal hospitality’ to rebel Shiv Sena MLAs

GUWAHATI: Opposition parties on Wednesday lashed out at BJP for giving “royal hospitality” to rebel Shiv Sena MLAs at a five-star hotel in Guwahati at a time when 55 lakh people of the state are reeling under unprecedented floods.
Reacting sharply to chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s comments that the stay of the Maharashtra legislators will help the government in more GST collection, Assam PCC chief Bhupen Kumar Borah said the Assam CM has turned into a “tourist guide”.
“There is nothing more unfortunate when a chief minister had to take the role of tourist guide to help the people of Assam through GST earned by bringing MLAs from other states. A CM has transformed into a tourist guide,” said Borah.
He said Sarma’s statement revealed the true economic situation of the state. “Maybe due to ignorance, the truth has come out from the CM’s mouth. Government exchequer is empty. Assam government has got buried in a loan amount of 1.08 lakh crore. Employees are not getting salaries on time, no adequate relief for the flood-affected people. The state government has turned into a beggar under the BJP rule,” Borah said.
He accused Sarma of extending royal hospitality to Maharashtra MLAs in a “conspiratorially planned process” to form a BJP government in Maharashtra.
Borah further said that the Assam CM failed to bring a central minister to take stock of flood situation and “miserably failed” to convince the Centre to release sufficient funds to handle the devastating floods.
Other opposition parties — AJP and TMC — too condemned “hotel politics” during a crisis hour.
In a news conference, AJP general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan condemned the alleged “act of BJP” to turn Assam into an epicenter of Maharashtra’s “politics of dissidence”.
AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi tweeted, “I consider the recent political happenings in #Maharastra to be a blatant attempt by the #BJP to destroy #MarathiRegionalism. It always has been the strategy of the #BJP to subjugate regional forces and narratives. It is unacceptable and unforgiveable.”
“At the same time today when Assam is reeling under destructive floods the BJP state govt. is busy in splitting the @ShivSena. Such is the commitment of BJP to Assam, #Maharastra should take note and give a befitting reply,” he added.
Assam Trinamool Congress president Ripun Bora alleged that instead of providing adequate flood relief to affected people of Assam, Sarma is busy in toppling the Maharashtra government by “horse-trading & protecting the rebel Maharashtra MLA's in Guwahati”. “People of ASSAM are watching you Mr CM!” Bora tweeted.