Gogoi says Rajnath violated federal principle

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s two day visit to Assam that started on Sunday had led to a brazen war of political rhetoric between the ruling Congress and the BJP. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Sunday termed Union Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Indo-Bangla international border without taking the state government into confidence as ‘unfortunate’ and violation to the spirit of ‘cooperative federalism’.

 “We welcome the Union Home Minister’s border visit; however not taking the Assam government’s representative along with him in spite of its (state government’s) request is a violation to the spirit of cooperative federalism and the NDA government’s much vaunted rhetoric of Team India,” said Gogoi in a press statement.

Gogoi said that the state government has important role in safeguarding border and hence the Assam government should have taken into confidence for making the border visit more meaningful.

He added “Never before in my long political career the state government is ignored like this.”

Gogoi alleged that Singh has converted an ‘official trip’ into a ‘party affairs’ since BJP functionaries like Union Sports Minister and state BJP president Sarbananda Sonowal, party in charge in Assam Mahendra Singh and senior leader Himanta Biswa Sarma have accompanied him along with a delegation from the All Assam Students’ Union(AASU).