By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, April 5: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ajan Dutta has squarely blamed it on AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal for minting money in the me of rehabilitation of violence-affected minority people in the State.
Addressing the press at Rajiv Bhavan in the city today, Dutta said: “During and after the ethnic violence in the BTAD, Ajmal did collect crores of rupees from all over the world though the Jamiat for the rehabilitation of minority people affected in the violence. However, there have been allegations that Ajmal hasn’t spent that amount as yet for the target beneficiaries. I dare Ajmal to make public what amount he has collected and how much he has spent for the purpose as yet.”
Reacting to Ajmal’s guarded response earlier in the day today to a query from the press that wanted to know as to what he would do in the event of the Congress seeking his support to form the government at Dispur, Dutta said: “We would like to sit on the Opposition bench rather than forming a government with support from the AIUDF. However, we are sure to win at least 43 seats from the constituencies that went to polls yesterday. This apart, we have a fair chance of win in nine other seats that went to polls on April 4. In all, we hope to exceed 70 seats in both phases of the polls.”
A confident Dutta also said: “After the Assembly polls, we are going to topple the BTC as a number of executive members of the Council are in touch with us. These EMs are ready to join the Congress.”
On the prospects of the Congress making it to Dispur yet again, Dutta said: “A section of intellectuals are out in a false propaganda that the Congress is not going to be in a position to form government at Dispur this time around. These intellectuals have just been saying what Himanta Biswa Sarma keeps on dictating them.” On the campaign of the party, Dutta said: “While former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan is going to address an election rally at Chandmari field in the city at 3 pm tomorrow, Sonia Gandhi is going to address two rallies on April 7, one each at Sorukhetri and Jagiroad. Rahul Gandhi is also set to address three rallies, one each at Kamalpur, Dhomdoma (lbari) and Dalgaon on April 8.”