Congress releases 20-point 'chargesheets' against CM Himanta, BJP

Guwahati: Launching an attack on the ruling BJP in poll-bound Assam, the Opposition Congress on Thursday released a 20-point "People's Chargesheets" accusing Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of operating a "syndicate raj," massive corruption, accumulation of illegal wealth and failing to fulfill the pre-poll promises.

The document, released by senior leader and chairman of the party's candidate screening committee Priyanka Gandhi alleged that Sarma, his ministers, and MLAs have accumulated illegal assets in their own names and in the names of family members.

It questioned the failure to grant Scheduled Tribe status to six more ethnic communities, borrowings despite CAG warnings, alleged eviction of indigenous people and allocation of land to corporate interests, neglecting the Assam Accord of 1985 and halting the NRC process.

The "charge sheet" was released on a day BJP national president Nitin Nabin visited the state and exuded confidence that the saffron party would register victory for the third straight term owing to its actions for protection of Assam and its development.

Karnataka Deputy CM and the party's central observers, DK Shivakumar, former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, AICC in-charge for Assam Jitendra Singh, MP and president of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, Gaurav Gogoi, beside others attended the event.

The party alleged that the leaders of the ruling party were encouraging and giving protection to illegal activities such as rat-hole mining to generate unlawful funds; and allegedly turning Assam into a government-protected corridor for the transportation of banned goods and drugs smuggled through international borders.

It further alleged establishment of a syndicate-controlled system that collects money on goods entering and leaving Assam to ensure barrier-free movement, including timber, sand, stone, coal, iron, Burmese betel nut, poultry, cattle, fish, eggs, spices, cigarettes and other commodities, with fixed commissions collected at designated checkpoints.

Congress MP, Pradyut Bordoloi said the "chargesheet" was prepared based on consultations across the state involving five teams that gathered opinions from grassroots organisations, indigenous bodies, business communities, intellectuals and individuals.

It also accused the government of creating a parallel institutionalised commission system in health services, public works projects, transfers and postings of officials, and tenders allegedly controlled by the Chief Minister, thereby weakening normal governance.

It further alleged "biased bulldozer actions" against common citizens, suppression of freedom of speech and the media; failure to fulfil the long-standing promise of Rs. 351 daily wages for tea garden workers; environmental degradation, failure to generate new employment, failure to secure national disaster status for floods and erosion, weakening public education.