RSS reviving contentious issues, alleges Tarun Gogoi

Bogged down by the attacks, Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi said here on Saturday that the six-year-old Assam agitation against Bangladeshi infiltrators was sponsored by the RSS.

Asserting that he was going to form the government the fourth time by winning at least 65 out of 126 seats, Mr Gogoi told reporters, “The Assam agitation was sponsored by the RSS. BJP leaders like Atal Behari Vajpayee and Arun Shourie were the guides.”

In an obvious attempt at giving a spin to the growing polarisation in the state, Mr Gogoi said, “It is a known fact that the Assam agitation was originally against all outsiders but was later changed to oppose only Bangladeshi infiltrators to suit the RSS.”

Mr Gogoi claimed that the RSS had funded the agitation.

“The AASU was getting funds from the RSS. All funds for the agitation were facilitated by the RSS,” Mr Gogoi said, adding that the RSS had been trying to exploit the sentiment of the common people and the Congress will continue to fight against such divisive forces whether it remains in power or not.

The chief minister alleged that the RSS was trying to reopen the closed chapters of the Assam agitation deliberately by raking up the issue of cut-off line for detection and deportation of infiltrators. “It was at the behest of the RSS that former Congress minister Himanta Biswa Sarma raised the issue of pushing back the deadline of 1971 to 1951,” said Mr Gogoi.

The Assam Accord, which was signed in 1985, had fixed March 31, 1971 as the date for detection and deportation of Bangladeshi infiltrators from Assam.

Referring to the reported surge in support of the BJP-led alliance in the just-concluded state polls, Mr Gogoi said that he was confident of the Congress winning 65 seats out of the total 126 and forming the government for the fourth straight term. “However, if the people give us the responsibility to sit in the Opposition, we will fulfil that responsibility with full commitment,” he added.

The chief minister said he has started reviewing all development activities after the start of the election process. “I will continue to work for the people with top priority,” said Mr Gogoi.