President Rahul Gandhi being felicitated during a party rally in Guwahati on February 26. (IANS Photo)
Guwahati, February 26 (PTI): Congress president Rahul Gandhi Tuesday asserted that his party will protect the culture, history and language of the northeast if voted to power. Kicking off the poll campaign in Assam, Gandhi attacked the BJP and the RSS, accusing them of "burning" every state in the region. "The BJP-RSS ideology is burning every state in the northeast. They are attacking your lifestyle, culture, language and history…," he said.
Gandhi exuded confidence that the Congress will come to power at the Centre and work towards protecting the identity of the region. He also promised to restore 'special status' to Assam and bring back the North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIPP).
"BJP snatched away the rights of the people of the northeast. We'll do everything to restore them," he asserted. Expressing grief over the recent hooch tragedy in Assam's tea belt, the Congress chief said, "Narendra Modi made big announcements for tea gardens, but did nothing. We will guarantee minimum wage to every estate worker.
Meets victims of Arunachal violence in Guwahati
The Congress president Rahul Gandhi visited a hospital here to meet two persons, who were injured in the violence that broke out in Itanagar recently, over granting Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC) to non-natives in Arunachal. The doctors informed Gandhi that both the patients were undergoing treatment for compound fractures. The Congress chief, who was here to address a public rally, travelled to the hospital soon after landing at the LGB International Airport here.
He also spoke to the attendants of the patients. "We will look into it," he told them while speaking about the violence in Itanagar. "The doctors here are looking after them properly… Don't worry," the Congress president told them. Assam Congress president Ripun Bora and his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart Takbam Sanjoy accompanied Gandhi to the hospital. Arunachal Pradesh witnessed massive violence since Friday in protest against a recommendation of the Joint High Power Committee granting permanent resident certificates to six communities who are not natives of the state, but have been living in Namsai and Changlang districts for decades. The communities are the Deoris, Sonowal Kacharis, Morans, Adivasis, Mishings and Gorkhas.
