India To Keep Pace With Advanced Countries Under Modi: Bhubaneswar Kalita

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Former Rajya Sabha MP Bhubaneswar Kalita, who joined the BJP recently, has said that India will keep pace with the advanced countries under the dynamic leadership of Narendra Modi. Drawing a comparison between the BJP and the Congress, Kalita said while the Congress is left only with leaders and no cadres, all in the BJP are cadres.

Kalita quit the Congress on August 5 and joined the BJP on August 9 at New Delhi. He arrived in Assam on Saturday when State Minister Bhabesh Kalita felicitated him at the airport. On Sunday, he arrived at the State BJP office where State BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass felicitated him.

Addressing the media at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawan, Kalita said: “I took the decision of joining the BJP after working in the Congress for over four decades. I always have faith in politics of principles. In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah made efforts to give India a new pace. Their efforts have paid off to a great extent. The people of the country want a strong leadership who can make the nation keep pace with the advanced countries. I hope, under the dynamic leadership of Modi, India will certainly keep pace with the advanced countries. India is a powerful nation under him now.”

Bhubaneswar Kalita further said: “India will have to give leadership to its neighbouring countries. G-20 and other developing countries have also been supporting the leading role by India. Under Modi, India has registered a robust growth in economy.”

When asked as to what made him join the BJP, Kalita said: “As the main Opposition party, the Congress did support the BJP-led government directly or indirectly on a number of issues like Triple Talaq and UAPA (the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act). However, when the issue of Article 370 came up in the Rajya Sabha, the CWC (Congress Working Committee) held no discussion on it within the party, nor with other Opposition parties. The Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) too kept silent on the issue. I raised the issue with the party leadership, but to no avail. As the chief whip of the Congress in the Rajya Sabha the situation was quite suffocating for me. I had to quit the Rajya Sabha because of the Congress’ stand on Article 370 and 35 A. It was because of Article 370 no welfare schemes could be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir. I hope the BJP can help India make stride. Now the Congress is left with only leaders, no cadres. However, all in the BJP are cadres.”

When asked on his would be stand on the CAB (Citizenship Amendment Bill) which he had opposed as a Congress MP, Kalita said: “Voters of the State have accepted the CAB and voted the BJP to power. The BJP fought the last Lok Sabha poll with CAB in its election manifesto.”

Besides State BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Das, the press meet was also attended by Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union minister Rameswar Teli and Minister Bhabesh Kalita.

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