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This story is from June 30, 2021

Assam: Nadda calls Cong leaders ‘political tourists’ in second wave, Cong hits back

Assam: Nadda calls Cong leaders ‘political tourists’ in second wave, Cong hits back
GUWAHATI: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has condemned the statement of BJP national president, JP Nadda, that Congress leaders are 'political tourists'.
At a virtual state executive meeting on Tuesday, Nadda lashed out at Congress and other opposition leaders saying these 'political tourists' are not to be seen anywhere in the raging second wave of Covid-19 in the state.
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APCC president Ripun Bora questioned Nadda, "Does it also mean that wherever the BJP has lost elections, in Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, BJP leaders have become 'political tourists’?
Bora said Congress is not answerable to the BJP president. "People know whether the Congress is with them or not. People also know that the BJP government at the Centre, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is responsible for the sufferings of the people. There are no vaccines. The government’s faulty policy on Covid-19 has led to this crisis,” he said.
Over half of the Covid vaccine centres have been shut down in Assam, he said. “Very recently, the police had to resort to lathi-charge at these centres as people had started agitating,” he added.
He reminded Nadda that BJP was floated in 1980 while the Congress was born in 1885. "How can a party which has been in existence for 136 years, brought freedom for its people from British domination, ruled the country and contributed towards nation-building be termed 'political tourist'?" he asked.

Bora advised the BJP president to refresh his knowledge of history instead. Where were these BJP leaders, Bora asked, when the state was devastated by floods in 2017 and 2018? "While PM Modi could find time to come to Assam many times for his election campaigns, why couldn't he be with the people when they needed him the most during the floods?” he asked.
Opposition AIUDF also criticized Nadda, saying Badruddin Ajmal's party has been most proactive since the first wave of Covid-19. "We are not in power. Even then AIUDF MLAs are working relentlessly in their respective constituencies to raise awareness on the need of vaccination and providing relief. But what is the BJP government doing? People are returning home from vaccination centres without getting inoculated as there is a shortage of doses," AIUDF MLA and senior leader Aminul Islam said.
Islam said he has been regularly visiting the hospitals in his constituency and encouraging people to get vaccinated in his Mankachar constituency. "What has the BJP done from their party funds to give relief to the people in this hour of crsis? They have been ruling at the Centre and several states for quite some time now. There are allegations already of misuse of government funds in managing the Covid situation,” Islam stressed.
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About the Author
Kangkan Kalita

Kangkan Kalita is a reporter with The Times of India and covers issues on health, education, stories of human interest while keeping a close watch on political developments and student movements. Reporting on environment and forest related issues and concerns of the northeast interest him equally.

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