After the recent ethnic violence that broke out in Assam, Congress poster boy and Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi once again is in the line of fire from political parties extending support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and minority organisations for his controversial statement against Muslims in the state.
Gogoi in an interview given to a television channel blamed illiteracy among Muslims for high growth rate among the community and outnumbering Hindu population in the state.
Slamming Gogoi for his remarks, Samajwadi Party (SP) demanded that the Assam chief minister should apologise to Muslims of the country.
“He (Gogoi) should apologise to Muslims for his irresponsible statement,” SP leader Mohan Singh told Deccan Herald.
Singh further said that “if Gogoi thinks that Muslims are illiterate than he should answer what has he been doing to provide education to the community during his tenures as the chief minister.”
The Janata Dal (Secular), an outside supporter of the UPA government at the Centre also criticised Gogoi on the issue.
Party spokesperson Danish Ali told this newspaper that the JD(S) “strongly condemns” the reckless statement and of the Assam chief minister asserted that this is an “attempt to divert focus from real issues in the state”. An embarrassed Congress preferred not to react to Gogoi’s statement.
“I have not seen his statement, so, cannot say anything at the moment,” said Congress spokesperson, Rashid Alvi.
Gogoi also came under the attack of All India Muslim Personal Board (AIMPB), which described his statement as “an attempt to divert attention from the inability of the Assam government to control ethnic violence in the state”.
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