By IANS,
Guwahati : Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) chief Prafulla Kumar Mahanta Monday slammed Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for staying away from the state at a time when more than 10 lakh people are affected by floods.
Mahanta also alleged that it has become a routine for Gogoi to stay away from the state in times of disaster-like situations, and demanded the central government release additional funds for relief and rehabilitation of the flood-hit people of the state.
Gogoi left for Japan Friday on a five-day official tour along with some ministers from rest of the country.
Condemning what he called the lackadaisical attitude of the state government towards the problems of flood-hit people, the former two-time chief minister also demanded the central government send a representative to the flood-affected people.
Hitting out at the United Progressive Alliance government, Mahanta said under the leadership of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh it had again sacrificed the interest of India and “aam aadmi” (common man).
By approving foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail sector, they have given the Indian retail sector worth billions of dollars as a gift to US President Barrack Obama, who is re-contesting, he added.
“While Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi – whom the Congress party claims to follow – had called to boycott foreign goods and clothes, now the same Congress party has signed a pact with the Walmart sacrificing the ‘aam aadmi’ of the country,” Mahanta said.
He said that more than five crore people are dependent on these traders in retail sector and all of them will be hit hard due to the move of the central government.