Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 27 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Assam Congress, questioning its recent choice of Legislative Party leader and accusing the opposition party of drifting away from the interests of indigenous communities in the state.

Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, BJP Assam spokesperson Kishore Upadhyay alleged that the Congress, through its latest internal decision, has demonstrated a shift in its political priorities. He claimed that the party's leadership in Assam was increasingly aligning with 'Bengali-origin migrant Muslim interests' over those of indigenous groups, and further argued that this reflected a broader ideological change within the party in the state.

According to the release, Upadhyay stated that the interests of the 40 per cent migrant Muslim population appear to hold greater importance than the aspirations and rights of the 60 per cent indigenous people of Assam.

Upadhyay also made a series of historical references, alleging that previous Congress-era leadership had compromised nationalist ideals and facilitated demographic and political changes in the state.

'Just as, in an earlier era, leaders like Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and Moinul Hoque Choudhury, using Devakanta Barua as a shield, trampled upon the nationalist ideals of stalwarts such as Mahendramohan Choudhury and Bimala Prasad Chaliha and opened the floodgates for Muslim migration into Assam, in the same tradition today, leaders like Rakibul Hussain, using Gaurav Gogoi as a political shield, are relentlessly attempting to establish the Congress party as the exclusive political platform of migrant Muslims,' the release quoted.

In reality, there now remains virtually no distinction between the Muslim League and the Congress in Assam. The Congress has effectively emerged as the second incarnation of the Muslim League in the state, Upadhyay said, as per the release.

Upadhyay further stated that, according to available information, the individual chosen as the leader of the Congress Legislative Party was originally known as Wajed Ali Miya.

Subsequently, in pursuit of political convenience and self-interest, he allegedly changed his surname from 'Miya' to 'Choudhury' through an affidavit.

He further alleged that Wajed Ali Choudhury had once been a prominent leader of the All Assam Minority Students' Union (AAMSU), an organisation born in 1980 in opposition to the historic Assam Agitation. Leaders of such an ideological background, he asserted, carry within themselves a deeply entrenched anti-Assamese mentality.

The release stated that the direction in which the Congress party now intends to lead Assam, Upadhyay remarked, stands exposed through this very decision.

Meanwhile, the BJP spokesperson welcomed the Assam government's introduction of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC)-2026 Bill in the Legislative Assembly, calling it a step consistent with pre-election commitments.

Under the resolute and dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the government is determined to implement these commitments in both letter and spirit, and the introduction of this Bill is a shining example of that resolve.

He further stated that the proposed implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in Assam is firmly rooted in the vision of the framers of the Constitution, the Directive Principles enshrined under Article 44 of the Constitution, as well as the landmark judgments delivered by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the Shah Bano case of 1985 and the Shayara Bano case of 2017. For this historic initiative, the party extends its heartfelt gratitude to CM Sarma. The introduction of the Uniform Civil Code, he asserted, will further fortify and strengthen India's democratic framework.

Commenting on the 12 years of the PM Modi government, the spokesperson said the BJP's journey from having two MPs to leading transformative governance reflected major national reforms and achievements.

The most significant milestones achieved under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership are the abrogation of Article 370, the enactment of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam-2023, the implementation of GST, the Swachh Bharat Mission, revolutionary reforms in digital payment systems through the introduction of UPI, the Ayushman Bharat scheme, unprecedented infrastructure development, and comprehensive reforms in the defence sector.

He emphatically reiterated that with the continued support and cooperation of the people of India, the visionary and decisive leadership of Prime Minister Modi, coupled with the tireless efforts of the BJP-led NDA Government, will undoubtedly enable the nation to achieve its declared objective of becoming a developed India by 2047. (ANI)