Guwahati: Congress leader Pawan Khera sharply criticised the BJP's election manifesto at a Barpeta press conference on April 3, calling it a recycled document that vanishes after the polls, and accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of shielding individuals in the Zubeen Garg case, promising immediate action and reforms if Congress returns to power.
Khera said Congress's manifesto was developed with extensive public feedback and included specific timelines to ensure every promise is fulfilled.
Khera also took aim at Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over what he described as inaction in the case of singer Zubeen Garg. "The Chief Minister is avoiding justice for Zubeen Garg to protect certain people," Khera claimed, linking it to Congress's commitment to resolve the issue within 100 days if elected.
He questioned who the CM was shielding, rejecting Sarma's comment that the courts handle such matters, and noted that legal cases with weakened evidence, like frozen bank accounts of accused, can sometimes be reopened.
The Congress leader slammed Barpeta's development record under the current "double-engine" government, pointing out the lack of a railway station and a university. He accused local powers, including members of the CM's family, of illegally taking around 12,000 bighas from Adivasi and tribal communities and promised to recover the land and hold those responsible accountable.
Addressing unemployment, Khera said Assam has not seen meaningful job creation in a decade. He assured that a Congress government would open up opportunities for youth while joking that the CM's own "unemployment" would free up jobs.
He also criticised government contracts that, he said, benefit Sarma's close allies at the expense of ordinary residents.
Khera flagged deficiencies in health services and infrastructure, noting that BJP's promise of 500-bed hospitals in each district has not materialised. He outlined Congress's plan to provide Rs 25 lakh in cashless health coverage per person and quipped that this has unsettled the CM. He mocked the CM's nickname "Mama," saying, "The state has been made a fool ('mamu') under his leadership."
On policy initiatives, he described Congress's proposals: minimum support prices for mustard and paddy, allocating land for farmers, increasing tea workers' wages, promoting tea as Assam's leading industry, reserving 30% of factory jobs for locals, and reviving traditional handicrafts.
Khera warned against outsiders trying to create communal tension, claiming they follow directives from Nagpur and Hyderabad. He accused some opposition figures of acting as proxies for the BJP without naming them directly and insisted that Assam's social harmony will remain intact.
Regarding the Congress candidate selection in Barpeta, he said the issue is under review and dismissed opposition leaders like Owaisi as irrelevant.He expressed confidence in the Congress alliance with the Assam Jatiya Parishad and Raijor Dal, noting that public support is increasing for change and against the BJP. "I believe the outcome will surprise many," he added, hinting at the possibility of a young new chief minister.