Former Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah has joined the BJP, ending his 32-year association. He called the situation in the Congress “alarming,” citing controversial remarks by party leaders on martyrs, priests, and Muslim reservations.
Former Congress leader Bhupen Kumar Borah, who had officially joined the BJP on Sunday, pointed out that the situtation in the Assam Congress is “alarming”, pointed out differences he noticed with both the parties.
Assam Congress suffered a big blow ahead of the elections after its former president switched to the ruling BJP, ending his three-decade-old ties with the party.
Borah Cites Reasons for Quitting Congress
Speaking to ANI, Borah highlighted that incidents where the Congress leaders had allegedly labelled people who died in the Assam movement as “dacoits” and recently demanded reservation for Muslims in the state assembly. Borah said, “I gave 32 years and had a very deep-rooted family connection with Congress. But the present-day situation of Congress in Assam is alarming. Those concerned about the state can no longer be with the Congress. I’ll give an example I wrote in my resignation letter. A Congress MLA, Sherman Ali, called all the martyrs of the Assam movement dacoits; I immediately expelled him.”
“Another Congress MLA in Assam said all priests are rapists; now his name is recommended for the assembly election in Jaleshwar. Another Congress spokesperson said when Congress comes to power under the leadership of Gaurav Gogoi, 45 assembly seats will be reserved for Muslims,” he added.
Controversy Over ‘Indigenous’ Claim
Further, Borah claimed that Congress leader Aman Wadud wrote in a book that “Assamese are not indigenous.” “After I was removed from the position of APCC President, Gaurav Gogoi appointed Aman Wadud as the social media head. Wadud had written a book in which he claimed that the Assamese are not indigenous. How can I work with such a team?” the Congress turncoat said.
However, Aman Wadud, earlier this month, dismissed the claims in an X post. Wadud said that he assisted Abdul Muhib Mazumder with editing his book, but does not “necessarily agree with everything written in it.” He stated that there was “no word called ‘Miyan’ in his book” and he “did not write that Miyans came to Assam before Assamese.”
On Gaurav Gogoi’s Alleged ‘Pakistan Link’
Commenting on Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi’s alleged Pakistan link, Borah said that he had asked the party to file a defamation case against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during the panchayat elections. “Before the panchayat election CM of Assam was talking openly about his Pakistan connection in every meeting. I wrote to AICC suggesting to file a defamation case for the greater interest of the Congress party, and we lost the panchayat election. What the court decides is not my matter; what the people of Assam will decide is what concerns me,” the newly joined BJP leader told ANI.
BJP Welcomes Borah
Earlier today, CM and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma welcomed former Assam Congress Chief Bhupen Kumar Borah to the BJP, stressing that from today, he will start a new political journey.
Congress Downplays Exit
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Assam Assembly Debabrata Saikia said that the move “will not cause any harm” to the party. Speaking to ANI, Saikia claimed that the people from where he was preparing to contest are also not with Borah. “It will not cause any harm because the leaders and workers of his constituency, from where he had been preparing to contest for the last three years, did not decide to go with him. They said that even if he leaves, we will remain in Congress. Therefore, we will not suffer any harm,” Saikia said. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)