There seems to be a national trend against the Congress and a wave in favour of Modi, who has aggressively attacked the UPA government on all fronts. Where has the Congress gone wrong?
Yes, I agree that there is resentment, but I think the Congress' fortunes will revive. In fact, it's picking up. At the national level, the Congress started the campaign late. Had we started six months earlier, the result would have been better then what we will achieve. Regardless, I believe the trends would be proved wrong. There is no question of being soft on Modi. In fact, I am one of the seniormost Congress leaders in the country who is attacking Modi left and right, exposing him to the people. The Modi wave will not touch Assam, at least.
The BJP is looking to make inroads in Assam and the party says there is a Modi wave blowing across the country. How do you plan to insulate Assam from it?
Unlike in other parts of the country, the Modi wave will not touch Assam. The people of Assam have a different culture.
Modi talks about his Gujarat development model. In fact, my development model is much better than his. Modi could take up development work only when the UPA government was in power at the Centre. The UPA has helped every state, irrespective of the party in power.
The Modi wave is a media creation. If there is indeed a wave, why does he need to tour so much, burn so much money for promoting himself as the face of the BJP? It is all propaganda. Modi is good at marketing, but you cannot win elections with just that.
Because of our performance, my government has been better than any other in Assam. The UPA has helped me take up many development projects. I don't bother how many rallies Modi addresses in Assam. I know for sure that the people will reject his brand of self-centered politics.
There are complaints that despite being a Rajya Sabha member from Assam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has not done enough for the state. Several important projects of national importance remain unfinished…
Who is saying that the prime minister did nothing for Assam? I have facts that will make it clear that when Manmohan Singh was in power, Assam received plenty of Central attention. He has done whatever is possible for the state. The growth rate is good. I have facts to prove that the UPA has done more for Assam and the Northeast than the NDA regime. I will publish a white paper on this so that the people know who is working for them.
The Opposition blames you for not being able to handle ethnic conflicts, flood and erosion, rhino killings, illegal immigration from Bangladesh and the loss of agricultural land. Even in its poll campaign, the Congress is non-committal on these issues…
I won't disagree that all these contentious issues remain and there have been shortcomings on our part to tackle them. But, by and large, peace has returned to Assam. Now, you can travel safely to any place. The growth rate is one of the best in the country. Without peace, can there be development? I am not saying that insurgency has been done away with. We have been able to check it to a large extent. If you talk about the Kokrajhar riots, I brought it under control within 60 hours. Lakhs of people had to flee, but within a year, we rehabilitated them. Only a few hundred remain in camps. We pressed the army into action immediately. Look at how Modi handled the Gujarat riots. Why didn't he use the army? Why did he never refer the riot cases to the CBI on his own? He has been exposed. I am not trying to escape.
So, you mean to say that whatever your government has done to tackle the illegal influx of migrants from Bangladesh has been good enough?
It's a major issue but it is not the main issue. Unemployment is a far bigger issue. The Opposition parties always raise this issue during election time because they cannot challenge my government on other issues. It is not to say that we are on a backfoot. The population growth in Assam is now lower than the national average. What does that indicate? It means the issue of illegal migrants has been taken care of. The BJP has been raising this issue for years. What did the party do when the NDA was in power? They forgot the issue.
With the growth of the BJP and Muslim-dominated AIUDF, it is all but certain that votes in Assam will get polarised on religious lines. Modi has already played the Hindutva card by saying that Hindus who fled other countries should be given asylum in India. Even you had tried the same by supporting asylum for those who fled Bangladesh due to religious persecution. Isn't your stand communal?
The media has tried to draw some parallels, which are incorrect. In spite of the attempts made by the BJP and the AIUDF, Assam is not a communally divided society. No one can divide Assam. Modi is only talking about one group — the Hindus. But what I said was different. Our stand is that irrespective of religion, if it's proved that anybody had to flee due to political or religious persecution after Partition, their case should been seen with sympathy on humanitarian grounds. That person can be of any religion — Hindu, Buddhist or even Muslim. It's true that such cases are higher among the Hindus, but I am not talking only about Hindus like Modi is doing.
Critics often say that the Congress is its own enemy. After the 2011 Assembly polls, the media had reported about a rebellion against your leadership. Why are such things happening in Assam, where the party is on a strong footing?
There is no dissidence. The election results will show that the Congress is united. In the Guwahati municipal polls, everyone predicted that we would lose, but we won. The Congress is a big family. Some grievances are bound to arise. Till date, nobody — MLA or minister — has officially demanded my removal. There are differences on the issue of allotting tickets for the polls, but we know how to handle them. After me, there will be new leaders. Who knew that Rajiv Gandhi will be such a good leader or that Sonia Gandhi would lead the party some day. The party is bigger than any individual.
Is the Congress extending dynasty politics in Assam by giving tickets to the sons and daughters of politicians, including your son Gaurav. Will the new faces deliver?
Manas Bora, the son of Social Welfare Minister Akon Bora, won the party's internal primaries; Sushmita, the daughter of former Union minister Santoshmohan Dev, is an MLA and a very educated lady. My son Gaurav was working for an NGO. He is an engineer and was educated in the West… they are all good candidates in their own capacity and ideally don't need their parents' identity to prove themselves. Even if they come from a political dynasty, they have to get elected. Gaurav will not be able to win an election only because he is my son. The identity will definitely help him, but he has to create a niche for himself. I am hopeful that all the new faces will win. Out of 14 seats in Assam, we will win no less than 10. Modi will be proved wrong in Assam.
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