Ripun Bora: If Congress comes to power all cases related to CAA will be withdrawn

GUWAHATI: If the Congress party comes to power in Assam in 2021, it will withdraw all the cases against the anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) protestors within a week, said APCC (Assam Pradesh Congress Committee) president Ripun Bora on Thursday.

Addressing the mediapersons at Rajiv Bhawan, Bora said the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP)-led government has lodged cases against various students, youths and organizational leaders for taking part in the anti-CAA agitation. These cases will be withdrawn immediately if we come to power, he reiterated. The Congress demanded the State BJP government to release white papers on the current financial condition of the State. Bora underlined that the Finance Minister has himself stated about the economic crisis in the State. Thus, now the COVID-19 patients will have to bear some expenses of treatment which was previously free, he stressed.

"The Central Government has already declared COVID-19 as a national disaster. According to National Disaster Management Act, all the treatment expenditure of COVID patients should be beard by the government," Bora opined.

He pointed out that, responding to several PILs, the Supreme Court also said that COVID treatment expenses should be covered by the government. "Under these circumstances, how can the Health Minister say that people will have to bear their own expenses?" Bora questioned.

Further, the leader highlighted the reports in media that oxygen supply agencies are not willing to provide oxygen cylinders as they have not received their payment. This move can lead to a devastating situation and scores of patients can be on the face of death, said Bora.

"Contractors in various departments have only received 60 per cent of their payments till March 31. On the other hand, after April, no contractor has received a single penny for their work. Such situation has arised only because of the economic crisis in the State," he stressed.

Bora alleged that the government is not being able to provide free treatment to the people due to the economic crisis. Thus, the government should resign from the position and the Chief Minister should issue a clarification on the issue.

"If the economic condition in the State is low, how will the State government collect the revenue to implement various schemes which it has announced recently? The government should clarify it," he underlined. The leader also took a jibe at the State government regarding the perplexed situation regarding the conduction of examinations amid the pandemic.

"Various universities are set to conduct online examinations but the Gauhati University has not yet declared its decision whether it will be online or offline. The university should have played a pioneer role in this crisis but it has failed. The students have left for their native places, thus they should hold the exams according to former's convenience," Bora added.

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