MAJULI, April 3: Senior Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday accused the BJP of politicising Lord Ram, saying he belongs to all and seeking votes in his name is a “disgusting act”.
In an interview with PTI Video, the Congress’ deputy leader in the outgoing Lok Sabha said politicising Lord Ram is an insult to him.
Asked about the BJP raising the issue of the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya in the run-up to the polls and criticising the Congress over it, Gogoi said, “Lord Ram belongs to everyone, Lord Ram doesn’t belong to any particular party … Politicisation of Lord Ram is an injustice to him and an insult to him.”
”Seeking votes in the name of Lord Ram is a disgusting act,” he said.
Talking about the issue of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Gogoi said the people of Assam view the two separately.
”At present, people are very restless about the CAA and want to protest against it democratically. However, Assam’s BJP government has even snatched the right to protest,” he alleged.
”If a student wants to protest, he or she is sent to jail, if a press person asks a question then that person’s job is lost. If people cannot even protest peacefully, then where is democracy?,” Gogoi said, hitting out at the BJP.
Gogoi has filed his nomination as the Congress candidate from Jorhat.
The Congress leader — the MP from the Kaliabor seat, which was renamed Kaziranga during the delimitation exercise — shifted to Jorhat that was once represented by his late father and former chief minister Tarun Gogoi for three terms in Parliament. (PTI)
