Janjivan Bureau / Guwahati: At the outset, we remember the families of tea labourers who have lost 150 members of their families. It is an hour of mourning for all of us and on this solemn occasion we also pay homage to the martyrs of Pulwama attack. At the same time, I extend my sincere compliments to our Pilots of the Air Force.
I would like to mention here that your rights have been snatched one by one. You might remember that the Congress Government had given a Special Status to the State of Assam. Shri Narendra Modi, RSS and BJP conspired to snatch away this Special Status. I promise from this podium that the moment the Congress Party returns to power, the Special Status given to Assam will be restored.
Today, the biggest problem being faced in the country is that of employment. Narendra Modi Ji believes in making hollow speeches about Make-in-India, Start-up-India but could offer only 1 lakh employment a year to the youth which translates to mere 450 employment opportunities a day but the publicity of Make-in-India is all over splashed on Television screens.
Industrial Promotion Policy used to exist in the North East which the BJP Government has withdrawn. The Congress Party will restore North East Industrial Policy. The Paper Mills like Jagiroad and Kachhar Paper Mills which are lying closed at present will be revived by the Congress Government and the process of providing employment to the youth will be facilitated through industrial development. Floods occur every year and play havoc with the lives of the people in Assam. Narendra Modi Ji promised a lot but delivered nothing on the ground. This is our national commitment that we will effectively deal with the problem of floods in Assam.
We will convert the Assam into a technical education centre of the North East. We have given an IIT but a lot of work in this direction is yet to be accomplished. We shall make arrangement to provide high quality education to the youth in Assam.
RSS believes in spreading hatred because they believe in such ideology and we believe in uniting the whole of India. While creating division among the people in Assam, the BJP intend to benefit 15-20 of their friends like Anil Ambani.
I would like to make it clear that in the year 2019 the Congress Party is going to take a historical step. We have given the country White Revolution, Green Revolution, Liberalization, Computer Revolution, MGNREGA, Right to Food since we do not believe in making false promises like depositing Rs. 15 lakhs in each Bank Account. We have taken a decision that when the Congress Government comes to power at the Centre in 2019, since we are winning all the Lok Sabha seats here, we will implement the Minimum Income Guarantee scheme. Under this scheme, a minimum amount will be credited to the bank account of every poor person directly. In this regard, there will be no discrimination. A poor person may be from any State, be it Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar or from any religion or caste, if he is an Indian, then the minimum guaranteed income will be deposited directly into his/her account. Congress Party has taken a decision for providing Minimum Income Guarantee.
I would like to tell the tea-garden workers that Congress Party will ensure them Minimum Wage Guarantee. Whatever we are promising here, is going to be translated into reality. This is not untruth like Mr. Narendra Modi’s words.
Under the NRC, the bonafide Indians will be given protection. No bonafide Indian will remain out of the NRC. All of you know that Citizen Amendment Bill, the biggest assault on North East because of which the entire North East is burning today was passed in Lok Sabha, but stalled in Rajya Sabha by the Congress Party. You should never forget this fact. In the hour of your need, we were standing shoulder to shoulder with you and this anti-North East Bill which is against your culture, your languages, your history, the Congress Party opposed it tooth and nail.
Our ultimate aim is that everyone in this country should have his space, love and brotherhood should spread and together we take this country forward. But the BJP wants to run this country from Nagpur and intends to impose a particular thinking and ideology on this country, but, the Congress Party knows how to fight BJP and RSS and how to defeat the BJP and RSS and we will see to it that they are defeated in 2019.
