<p>Guwahati: A syndicate that allowed poaching of rhinos in Assam's forests financed Congress to win elections, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma alleged in the state Assembly on Monday. </p><p>Replying to questions by the Opposition parties about the steps taken by his government to check "syndicates," Sarma claimed that the number of rhino poaching had gone up ahead of elections between 2011 and 2015, when Congress was in power in Assam. </p><p>"Congress was in power, both at the state and at the Centre. I was also in Congress then. They utilised me in the education department and I ended corruption in the recruitment process by recruiting the teachers through Teachers' Eligibility Test. They utilised me in health and I revolutionised the health sector. They did not utilise me in the forest department as a syndicate was going on. If we look at the data between 2011 and 2015, rhino poaching increased ahead of elections. That suggests the poaching syndicates financed the Congress party to win the elections," Sarma claimed.</p>.Uproar in Assam Assembly after deputy speaker 'attacked' by Congress MLA.<p>Sarma said 2012 witnessed poaching of 20 rhinos and the number increased to 24 in 2013 and to 25 in 2015. </p><p>Present Lok Sabha member and senior Congress leader Rakibul Hussain had served as the forest minister during Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government, which lost the polls in 2016. Poaching of rhinos, particularly at the Kaziranga National Park, became a serious election issue. Kaziranga is the largest home of one-horned rhinos in the world with over 2,600 rhinos at present.</p><p> Sarma stated that in 2021, when his government came to power, the number of rhino poaching had come down to three and this further decreased to two in 2022 and zero in 2023. Two rhinos were killed in 2024. </p>.Assam Cong spokesperson arrested for social media post; Himanta defends police action.<p>"If we had allowed poaching of rhinos, we would have got Rs. 10 crores against each rhino. That means, we would have got funding of Rs. 250 crores for allowing poaching of 25 rhinos in a year. Instead, we cracked down on the rhino poachers." </p><p>BJP came to power in Assam for the first time in 2016 Sarbananda Sonowal became the CM but was replaced by Sarma in 2021 when the saffron party got power for the second term. </p><p>Sarma said his government cracked down against drug smugglers and arrested 19,000 people and recovered drugs worth Rs. 2,600 crores. He said his government arrested 700 persons for smuggling of areca nuts.</p>
<p>Guwahati: A syndicate that allowed poaching of rhinos in Assam's forests financed Congress to win elections, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma alleged in the state Assembly on Monday. </p><p>Replying to questions by the Opposition parties about the steps taken by his government to check "syndicates," Sarma claimed that the number of rhino poaching had gone up ahead of elections between 2011 and 2015, when Congress was in power in Assam. </p><p>"Congress was in power, both at the state and at the Centre. I was also in Congress then. They utilised me in the education department and I ended corruption in the recruitment process by recruiting the teachers through Teachers' Eligibility Test. They utilised me in health and I revolutionised the health sector. They did not utilise me in the forest department as a syndicate was going on. If we look at the data between 2011 and 2015, rhino poaching increased ahead of elections. That suggests the poaching syndicates financed the Congress party to win the elections," Sarma claimed.</p>.Uproar in Assam Assembly after deputy speaker 'attacked' by Congress MLA.<p>Sarma said 2012 witnessed poaching of 20 rhinos and the number increased to 24 in 2013 and to 25 in 2015. </p><p>Present Lok Sabha member and senior Congress leader Rakibul Hussain had served as the forest minister during Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government, which lost the polls in 2016. Poaching of rhinos, particularly at the Kaziranga National Park, became a serious election issue. Kaziranga is the largest home of one-horned rhinos in the world with over 2,600 rhinos at present.</p><p> Sarma stated that in 2021, when his government came to power, the number of rhino poaching had come down to three and this further decreased to two in 2022 and zero in 2023. Two rhinos were killed in 2024. </p>.Assam Cong spokesperson arrested for social media post; Himanta defends police action.<p>"If we had allowed poaching of rhinos, we would have got Rs. 10 crores against each rhino. That means, we would have got funding of Rs. 250 crores for allowing poaching of 25 rhinos in a year. Instead, we cracked down on the rhino poachers." </p><p>BJP came to power in Assam for the first time in 2016 Sarbananda Sonowal became the CM but was replaced by Sarma in 2021 when the saffron party got power for the second term. </p><p>Sarma said his government cracked down against drug smugglers and arrested 19,000 people and recovered drugs worth Rs. 2,600 crores. He said his government arrested 700 persons for smuggling of areca nuts.</p>