New Delhi [India], February 24 : Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Assam, Congress on Monday levelled serious allegations against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding his associates and family members buying tea gardens. He alleged that tea garden owners are also being threatened.
Speaking in a press conference, Assam Congress incharge Jitendra Singh Alwar alleged that owners of big tea plantations have already left the state. CM Sarma intends to end tea plantations and commercialise them, he added.
"Tea garden owners in Assam are being threatened. Chief Minister's associates and his family members are buying tea gardens. Owners of big companies running tea plantations left Assam. Himanta Biswa Sarma wants to end the tea plantations and commercialise them," Alwar said.
He further questioned whether Sarma's wife had taken permission to run a resort in the Elephant Corridor. "Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife is running Vani Green Resort in the Elephant Corridor - has she taken permission to run the resort there?" Alwar asked.
Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government's slogan 'Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas', the Assam Congress incharge said that the ruling party in Assam was working with a new slogan, "Modiji ka saath, Himanta ka Vikas".
"Rat-hole mining has been banned across the country, but in Assam, rat-hole mining is going on under the nose of the Chief Minister. So the question is, who is doing this rat-hole mining? Are CM's associates doing this mining? Are people from CM's cabinet doing this mining? BJP's new slogan in Assam is - Modiji ka saath, Himanta ka Vikas," Alwar alleged.
Intensifying his attack on the Assam CM, Alwar accused Sarma of building a business empire in the state while highlighting his ownership of tea gardens, news portals and multiple landholdings. The Congress leader said that several landholdings have been purchased in tribal areas, where buying of land remains prohibited.
"What magic lamp did Narendra Modi give to the Chief Minister of Assam that he (Himanta Biswa Sarma) became a business tycoon? Himanta Biswa Sarma has built an entire empire in Assam. The Chief Minister of Assam owns many tea gardens, news portals, a big McDonald's outlet, international schools, and lots of land. A lot of land has been purchased in tribal areas, including Majuli, Kamrup, Guwahati, Nagaon, and Golaghat, where land cannot be purchased. If all this is happening, then are Narendra Modi's agencies investigating?" Alwar alleged.
These allegations come ahead of PM Modi's visit to Assam today. The Prime Minister will arrive in Guwahati, where he will hold a roadshow.
The Prime Minister will witness the mega Jhumoir performance at Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati on the evening of February 24, along with the Head of Mission and Ambassadors of 60 countries. Around 8,600 artists from 800 tea gardens of the state will perform the Jhumoir dance.
During his two-day visit, PM Modi will visit the exhibition of Advantage Assam 2.0 at Khanapara Veterinary College field in Guwahati. He will inaugurate the Advantage Assam 2.0 on February 25.
Several Union Ministers, Industrialists, Heads of Mission, and Ambassadors from different countries will participate in the mega Infrastructure & Investment Summit.