Only a Congress government in Assam will be able to carry forward the development works of the past 10 years, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, addressing a rally here on Thursday, in the second leg of his electioneering in the State.
Reminding the people of the Assam Gana Parishad days, Dr. Singh said that in the last year of the five-year AGP rule the State had been plagued by a grave financial crisis and a precarious law and order situation. Government employees did not get salaries and development works came to a grinding halt during that period.
But in the past 10 years of Congress rule under Tarun Gogoi, the State's finances improved, new roads and new bridges were constructed, and new medical and engineering colleges came up. Many corporate houses expressed a willingness to invest in the State.
Dr. Singh addressed another rally at Sipajhar in Darrang distict. Mr. Gogoi, accompanied Dr Singh at both meetings.
Dwelling on the insurgency issue, the Prime Minister said his talks with leaders of the United Liberation Front of Asom were positive, and exuded confidence that a solution would be worked out through dialogue.
The Paresh Barua faction of the ULFA had called an Assam bandh on April 2 to oppose Dr. Singh's visit in the first leg of his electioneering. However, the call did not have nay impact on his rallies.
Prior to his second visit and in response to requests from various quarters, the ULFA faction announced suspension of the bandh call from April 6 to 15 in view of Rongali Bihu.
It, however, said opposition to the Prime Minister's visit would continue. Incidentally, Dr Singh's electioneering on Thursday coincided with the ‘Raising Day' of the ULFA.
Its top leaders led by chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, in battle fatigues, observed the day at a designated camp of A and C companies of the ULFA's 28 battalion at Kakopathar in Tinsukia district.
