Taking exception to charges of corruption levelled by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari, Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday said Mr. Gadkari is engaging in cheap politics.
“The sweeping remarks are very unfortunate and it seems Gadkari is engaging in cheap politics. I have never seen such a cheap politician,” Mr. Gogoi told reporters.
“I have decided to write to Mr. Gadkari to furnish proof of his charges, because such criticism has never been levelled against me,” a visibly angry chief minister said.
“This only shows that the BJP president has poor knowledge about the state. I was union food processing minister and worked together with BJP leaders such as L.K. Advani and Sushma Swaraj who have never levelled such charges,” Mr. Gogoi said.
Mr. Gadkari, during his maiden visit to the state earlier this week, had accused Mr. Gogoi of indulging in corruption and publicly admitting of taking money for electioneering.
“Gadkari is shedding crocodile tears when he spoke about the state’s problems including infiltration and flood. The BJP shows sympathy only before elections,” he said.
On Mr. Gadkari’s charge that the Congress was protecting infiltrators for its vote bank, Mr. Gogoi alleged that the NDA government was never serious in solving the problem.
“I had written to the then home minister Advani for sanctioning money to build more border outposts, flood lights and fencing along the Indo-Bangla border, but the government did not oblige,” Mr. Gogoi said.
“Surprisingly, the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee mooted the idea of issuing work permits to Bangladesh infiltrators which I had opposed tooth and nail,” Mr. Gogoi said.
“The people of Assam understand that leaders such as Gadkari remember them just before elections. The NDA government did not sanction a single develop project for the state,” he said.
“Gadkari is dreaming of installing a BJP chief minister after the 2011 assembly election which is ridiculous. They could not even keep four MLAs with them,” he said referring to the suspension of BJP MLAs for voting in favour of the Congress in the March 26 Rajya Sabha poll.
