Cong will not let CAA take effect: Rahul
Polling in the state will be conducted in three phases on March 27, April 1 and April 6, the counting of votes will be held on May 2.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will not be implemented in Assam, if the party comes to power after the assembly elections.
Polling in the state will be conducted in three phases on March 27, April 1 and April 6, the counting of votes will be held on May 2. “It will be ensured in the state assembly that the CAA is not implemented in Assam. In the other states, we will stop it (CAA implementation) after we (Congress) come to power at the national level,” Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to the state, told students in Dibrugarh.
CAA is a sensitive issue in the state where many residents fear that it may give illegal immigrants legal standing in the state.
The former Congress chief also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of spreading hate to creating divisions among the people. “It is the BJP that used hatred to divide society. No matter where they go to spread hatred, the Congress will ensure it promotes love and harmony in that place,” he said.
In an apparent reference to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological fountainhead of the BJP, Gandhi said that there is a force in Nagpur that is trying to control the entire country.
“BJP ka kaam hain todna, hamaara kaam hain jodna (BJP’s work is to divide but our job is to unite people).”
“I am here to know what the students and the young generation is saying, what is it that they want from the government. I am doing it because we live in a democracy and everybody here has the right to speak and as a leader, it is my responsibility to listen to them,” he added.
Speaking on unemployment, Gandhi said that starting new colleges and universities are of little use if there are not enough jobs.
He also raised concerns over the condition of the tea gardens in Assam, and promised to resume an investment policy cancelled by the state present BJP government.
“I am not Narendra Modi, I do not lie. Today, we give you five guarantees – ₹365 daily wage to tea workers, our stand against CAA, five lakh jobs to youths in five years, 200 units of free electricity to each household and ₹2,000 per month for housewives.”
Reacting to Gandhi’s remarks, state BJP general secretary Rajdeep Roy tweeted: “LIES, LIES and more LIES! If you had the intent, what did you do when you were in power from 2001-2016?”
