Cong., BJP remedies for Assam ills

By Our Special Correspondent

GUWAHATI, NOV. 29. Senior Congress and BJP leaders from Delhi gave their respective assessments of the situation in Assam in two separate press meets here on Tuesday.

Both held the AGP Government responsible for its failure to maintain law and order and to prevent the recent massacres of non-Assamese people by the militants, but differed in their prescriptions for remedy.

The Congress team of the former Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr. Balram Jakhar, Mr. Mani Shankar Aiyer and Mr. Jagdish Tytler, which visited Naoholia, Kakojan and Nalbari where some of the massacres took place, repeated the demand for dismissal of the Mahanta Government and imposition of President's rule.

They said bringing Assam under the rule of the Centre, even a BJP-led Centre, would help improve the situation in the State. Also, it will prevent the AGP from rigging next year's Assembly elections and help the Congress win 70 to 80 per cent seats.

Reacting sharply, Mr. Jana Krishnamurthy, vice- president of the BJP, said the Congress had opposed President's rule in Bihar, where the situation was far worse and where a jungle raj and scam raj prevailed.

He said the Congress should prove its bona fides by publicly stating that it would support the Government in the Rajya Sabha if President's rule was imposed in Bihar.

The BJP general secretary, Mr. Narendra Modi, said the BJP was emerging as a ``major player'' in the electoral arena in Assam and it preferred to come to power in the State through elections rather than through the ``back door'' of President's rule.

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