New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday slammed what he called an intolerant central government and also came down heavily on union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for his remark that the era of according special category status to states is over.
"I have never seen such an intolerant government," he said at a press conference here.
"They are dictating to us what to eat, what to wear, what to think. Even during the Emergency, I did not see so much resentment among the people," he said, noting "writers, intellectuals, artists, scientists, everybody" were expressing their protest.
"The president had to caution twice reminding about the diversity of our country," he said
"But (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi does not rein in the fringe elements."
With assembly elections set to be held in Assam in April-May next year, Gogoi said that he supported all anti-communal forces but he was not planning any alliance.
"However, I am not planning any alliance as we are confident of winning the elections," he said, adding that how the government would be formed post-elections was a different thing.
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Asked if he was planning any seat arrangement with the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), Gogoi denied it but added that the AIUDF was also fighting communal forces.
he also charged acting state Governor P.B. Acharya with behaving "like an RSS pracharak".
"I have seen reports in the media that Acharya is criticising the state government over the condition of roads and the issue of payment of salaries to teachers," he said.
"I do not know if this is correct. But if this is correct, then Acharya is behaving more like an RSS pracharak than a governor," he said.
"Acharya should remember that he is only the acting governor of the state. He has been appointed governor of Nagaland and has been given additional charge of Assam till a new governor is appointed (in Assam)," Gogoi said.
The Assam chief minister also said that Africans have not forgotten former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi for their contributions to India-Africa ties, unlike the Narendra Modi government.
"Africans have shown that they are not ungrateful people," Gogoi said in reference to the Modi-government's apparent snubbing Nehru and Gandhi in the third India-Africa Forum Summit held in the national capital this week.
"It was Jawaharlal Nehru who initiated ties between India and the African countries. (Zimbabwe President Robert) Mugabe spoke about Nehru in front of Modi," he said.
Meanwhile, Gogoi came down heavily on Jaitley's remark that the era of special category status to states is over.
"The northeastern states that are backward will now be pushed to further backwardness," he added.
There has been wide speculation that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has quietly withdrawn the concept of special category status states.
Gogoi said that the withdrawal of the special category status would specially affect the poor people living in the border areas of such states.
