Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for “selling hatred” to divide the people while reaffirming his party’s commitment to nullifying the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and raise the daily wage of tea plantation workers to ₹365 if the party was voted to power in Assam.
On a two-day visit to campaign for the 10-party Mahajot or grand alliance, Mr. Gandhi’s programme ranged from interacting with college students at Lahowal and meeting tea plantation workers at Chabua — both in eastern Assam’s Dibrugarh district — to addressing a public rally at Doomdooma in the adjoining Tinsukia district.
“No religion teaches enmity. But the BJP uses religion to divide society. They sell and spread hatred wherever they go while the Congress tries to promote love and harmony,” he told the students.
Swipe at RSS
He also took a swipe at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJP’s ideological fountainhead. “There is one force in Nagpur [headquarters of the RSS] that is trying to control the country, but the youth must resist this attempt with love and confidence, Mr. Gandhi said.
During the interaction and at the public rally later, the Congress leader asserted that the Congress and its allies, if voted to power in Assam, would ensure that the CAA was not implemented in the State.
‘Five guarantees’
Addressing tea plantation workers, Mr Gandhi said the Congress would turn its “five guarantees” into a reality. Apart from nullifying the CAA, the guarantees include raising the wage of tea plantation workers to ₹365 per day.
Tea wage is a major issue across the tea-growing belts of Assam that account for 45 of Assam’s 126 Assembly seats. The BJP had in 2016 assured to raise the daily wage to ₹351 but plantation workers received a maximum of ₹167.
The BJP-led government had raised the wage by ₹50, less than a month ahead of the announcement of the polls, but the Gauhati High Court stayed the hike following a petition by the tea companies.
Mr. Gandhi is scheduled to interact with the employees of the 120-year-old Digboi Refinery, address a rally each at Jorhat and Gohpur and release the Congress manifesto on Saturday.
