Modi must adhere to Vajpayee's Rajdharma to rein in 'fissiparous forces': Gogoi

In a statement, Gogoi said that never before had the incidents of intolerance and hatred affected the country so badly like the present chronology of events that dented the age-old plural character of the country both nationally and internationally.

 

“Thanks to the President of India who had intervened thrice in a short span of time to reinforce the country’s plural character for living in peaceful co-existence. Joining the bandwagon RBI Governor Raghu Rajan and scores of writers, artistes and scientists fervently reminded the nation of the values of pluralism and peaceful co-existence," Gogoi said.

 

Extending congratulations to all who voiced their concern over growing intolerance, Gogoi said were it not for their strong and spontaneous protests divisive forces would have been further emboldened to carry out their nefarious designs.

 

The Assam CM also asserted that at the present critical juncture former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s advice of adherence to ‘rajdharma’ can bail the country out.

 

Referring to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s statement that returning of awards is a ‘manufactured rebellion’ and the personalities involved in it are ‘rabid anti-BJP elements’, Gogoi asked why such incidents did not take place during Vajpayee’s regime?

 

“Though it has become already too late, however, for the interests of the nation and for the sake of  unity and integrity, adherence to ‘rajdharma’ by the Modi-led NDA Government will be the only tool to bail the country out of growing intolerance and preserve the country’s diversity, plurality and tolerance,” Gogoi said.

 

The Assam CM also said that the yawning gap between promise and action of the Narendra Modi-led Government has slowed down the growth trajectory of the country.

 

“The usual rhetoric of Prime Minister Modi did no good to the country. The BJP came to power at the Centre  promising ‘acche din’, however, contrary to its promise it has indulged in self aggrandisement. As a result, Modi Government is fast losing its popularity. Even when the ‘honeymoon’ period was not over, the BJP failed to get clear majority in Maharashtra; in Haryana it managed to win by only single seat and in Delhi the party faced the drubbing while in Uttarakhand it suffered yet another defeat. In Vanarasi which is Modi’s own den, the BJP lost in local body elections,” Gogoi said. 

 

“In spite of spending crores of tax-payers hard-earned money in attention-grabbing advertisement in print and electronic media, the Modi Government is fast losing ground because of its failure to deliver promises. “Promises like bringing back black money stashed abroad, crediting every account holder’s bank account with Rs. 15 lakh each, deporting illegal foreigners from Assam seemed to have been put on the back burner in Modi’s agenda of action. Unemployment has hit the all-time low in the country, with no initiative of the Centre in creating employment avenues and prices of essential commodities including pulses are skyrocketing,"  Gogoi said.

 

The Assam CM said that under the NDA regime BJP is making tall claims that India is progressing on all fronts, the entire North East region is meted out with very shoddy treatment.

 

“Denial of Special Category Status to the North East, keeping the North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy suspended, not releasing funds under the Ministry of DoNER for flood management in the State, are some of the instances of the Centre’s hollow promises that failed to see the light of the day,” Gogoi said adding that even the much hyped ‘Act East Policy’ would not augur well in the face of changing pattern of allocation of funds for the Centrally sponsored schemes.

 

 

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)