Guwahati, June 11: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi on June 10 alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has weakened democratic institutions and strengthened its political position through defections and the fragmentation of opposition parties, both nationally and in Assam.
Responding to questions from journalists on Prime Minister Narendra Modi completing 12 consecutive years in office, Gogoi claimed that the BJP had reduced politics to a process of breaking and poaching political parties.
“The BJP has weakened democracy and reduced politics to a game of breaking and poaching parties. The same has happened in Assam,” he said.
The Congress leader also alleged that the BJP was attempting to exert control over the media and questioned Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s decision to retain the Information and Public Relations Department.
“The BJP wants to control the media. There are growing concerns about how long media freedom will survive under such circumstances,” Gogoi alleged.
He further claimed that individuals accused of corruption and involvement in alleged syndicate activities had been rewarded with ministerial positions in the state. According to him, people linked to alleged irregularities, including the so-called cattle syndicate, Gir cow scam and alleged corruption in the Assam Legislative Assembly, had been entrusted with key responsibilities.
Criticising the country’s economic conditions, Gogoi said ordinary citizens continued to face hardships and questioned the BJP’s celebration of political milestones.
The APCC chief also referred to the rejection of the Congress candidate’s nomination in the Rajya Sabha election in Madhya Pradesh and alleged that the BJP was willing to go to any extent to retain power.
“The Election Commission appears ready to act on allegations made by the BJP, even when they are based on incorrect information. However, genuine and evidence-backed complaints made by the Congress are often ignored,” he alleged.
Gogoi also criticised Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak controversy, claiming that the minister had not accepted moral responsibility for the issue.
He further questioned why the Assam government had not specified a timeline for granting Scheduled Tribe status to six communities in the state.
Meanwhile, Gogoi said the Congress has initiated a series of review meetings across Assam to strengthen the party’s grassroots organisation among various communities and ethnic groups. He expressed confidence that the party would emerge stronger and become more aligned with the aspirations of the people of the state.
