Union home minister Amit Shah launched a scathing attack against the Congress, accusing the party of pocketing ₹150 crore every year from Assam’s healthcare budget during its 15-year rule from 2001 to 2016.
Addressing a gathering while inaugurating the Pragjyotishpur Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) in Guwahati, Shah alleged that “Assam’s healthcare was in shambles 10 years ago as Congress worked only for the financial health of its leaders’ families”.
“For 15 years, every year, ₹150 crore from the state’s health budget was pocketed by them,” Shah said. “Over 900,000 children who were not even born were allegedly treated, money meant to construct 390 ‘anganwadi’ centres were taken away without them even getting built and even money sent by Centre for nourishment of poor children was siphoned by Congress.”
In contrast, Shah said, during the BJP’s rule, the annual health budget for the state has increased from ₹4,000 crore to ₹9,000. “We have ensured that the benefits of all services reach the grassroots,” he added.
During the event, the Union home minister inaugurated and laid foundation stone for health care projects worth ₹2,092 crore, including the PMCH built at a cost of ₹675 crore.
“It is praiseworthy that so many health-related projects have been launched and foundation stones laid for others in just one day. Assam is on its way to becoming self-reliant on health facilities so that no patient has to leave the state for treatments,” Shah said.
The minister also slammed the Congress over its youth wing’s protest at the recent AI Impact Summit, saying: “You used the AI Summit to showcase your politics with such an ugly protest. I would like to tell Rahul Gandhi that in its bid to oppose Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, you have protested against the country itself,” he said.
“Amit Shah came to Assam just ahead of the poll schedule announcement. His meetings got over by 3:00 pm and the EC announced poll dates at 4:00 pm. This shows that BJP has made even the EC a puppet. All conspiracies are being hatched to ensure that Congress doesn’t return to power. But all sections of people in Assam are fed up with the BJP and Congress will win this time,” stated Pawan Khera, chairman of Congress’s media and publicity department, while addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Sunday.