By Abdul gani, TwoCircles.net,
Guwahati: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh filed his nomination papers for his fifth Rajya Sabha term from Assam on Wednesday amidst protest from different parties and organizations.
Several bodies including political parties protested alleging the Prime Minister who has been representing the state since 1991 as a failure. However, the 80 year of Singh, who was accompanied by AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, left for New Delhi after filing his nominations.
Activists of All Assam Students Union (AASU) protesting against PM Manmohan Singh on his arrival in Guwahati to file nomination for the Rajya Sabha seat by wearing his mask on Wednesday 15th May 2013. Different political and non political organizations of the state also protested against the Dr Manmohan Singh. [Photo: Abdul Gani]
“During the two-decades of time, our prime minister has done nothing significant for the welfare of the state which he represents in the Rajya Sabha. He has not given importance to our basic problems like NRC, illegal infiltration and others,” said Samujjal Bhattacharyya, advisor of All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) after the arrival of the PM.
Political parties including BJP, CPI, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also staged protest against the filing of nomination for the fifth consecutive time.
“We oppose Dr Singh nomination as his contribution to Assam is zero. Dr Singh has never taken up any Assam issue and has turned a blind eye to the problems of people of Assam. His repeated candidature has blocked actual citizens of Assam aspirations to get elected to the Upper House over so many years. Dr Singh has been silent on NRC update, and advocated transfer of Assam land to Bangladesh without a process of consultation with the people of the State he represents,” alleged Pranjal Bordoloy, state coordinator of AAP.
Even media persons staged a dharna in front of Assam secretariat when the PM refused to address the press. Later, however, he appeared before the media. He expressed his gratitude to the people of Assam for making it possible for him to file nomination for the Rajya Sabha for the fifth time since 1991.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh submits his nomination as Rajya Sabha candidate to the Returning officer at Assam Legislative Assembly in Guwahati on Wednesday,15th May 2013.Also seen in the picture, Tarun Gogoi, Assam Chief Minister,Digvijay Singh, Assam Incharge AICC. [Courtesy: DIPR/ASSAM]
“Assam has done a great service to me by sending me to the Rajya Sabha for which I’m grateful to the people of Assam. I shall endeavour to accelerate the development of Assam so that poverty and diseases are eliminated from the state in the next 10 years,” Singh told the reporters.
The Prime Minister’s Upper House term expires on June 14 and polls for two Rajya Sabha seats from Assam will be held on May 30.