STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has slammed Chief Minister (CM) Himanta Biswa Sarma's statement that his speech in election rallies on microfinance loan waiver for all women was a 'political statement' and not a 'government statement'.
"The CM cannot make light of his electoral promise by saying it was a political statement. It is a grievous matter of breach of trust. Sarma had not only made the loan waiver an attractive electoral promise but even after taking charge as Chief Minister had also announced in the Assembly that he will see to it that all loans are waived, that their promises to the innocent women will be followed word by word," said APPC Media Department Chairperson Bobbeeta Sharma.
She questioned how did Sarma's promise have now become a 'political statement'?
"Now the question arises is that what will happen to those lakhs of women debtors who turned out in huge numbers in the election rallies believing the then Finance Minister's words as 'xilor rekha' or written on stone thinking of him as their saviour? Why didn't he say to these innocent women that guidelines will be applicable? Lakhs of women will be left out due to these guidelines," said Sharma.
She stressed that the voters should not forget the promises made by the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) of depositing Rs 15 lakh in every citizens' bank account.
"Unemployed youths should not forget the promises made of 2 crore jobs every year. Immediately after the election, we have also seen how they betrayed the tea garden community by not keeping their earlier promise of increasing the daily wage to Rs 351. The tea garden community should also not forget this great betrayal," Sharma underlined.
The APCC has alleged that the BJP has turned election campaigns into huge event management exercises where people are gathered to listen to their false promises. "For them, (BJP) electoral promises mean jhumla as has been famously acknowledged by one of their senior Ministers. Women of Assam had led huge protests over the U-Turn of the BJP government on waiving the loans of women debtors and now they have been left in the lurch for putting their trust and faith in the electoral speech of the most powerful minister of Assam BJP. Is it their fault for believing him? Now it is the turn of these innocent women of Assam to not forget this betrayal of the BJP Government," added Sharma.
The APCC has demanded the government to immediately release a white paper on the total number of women debtors, how many women will be able to avail of the loan waive as per the different categories and guidelines subscribed by the government, and how many women will not be able to avail of the loan waive as per their guidelines.