Cancelled programmes to avoid clash with yatra: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said he has cancelled all his prefixed programmes in the state's upper districts on January 18-19, in order to avoid a clash with events of Congress' Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in those areas.

He also claimed that people are now ashamed of attending gatherings and meetings of the Congress. "Rahul Gandhi (yatra schedule) is coinciding with our welfare dates (dates on which forms are to be distributed for a new scheme). These dates were declared even before we knew he was coming," Sarma told a press conference.

The CM dismissed Congress' allegations the form-distribution schedule of the newly-announced scheme for rural women has been fixed in a such a manner that it clashes with the yatra itinerary in those districts and adjoining areas.

"Rather, as a gesture, I have cancelled my Majuli programme on January 18 so that it does not clash with Rahul Gandhi's event. Majuli is a small district and I don't want to put the district administration in difficulty," Sarma said.

Sarma said he has also called off ration card distribution programmes in Jorhat and Dergaon on January 18 and January 19, the period during which the yatra is scheduled to pass through those areas.

Akhilesh unlikely to join Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said he is unlikely to join Congress' "Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra" led by Rahul Gandhi. When asked about this at a press conference at the party office here, Yadav said, "Neither the Congress nor the BJP invites us to their programmes." Yadav, who flagged off "Samvidhan Bachao, Desh Bachao Samajwadi PDA Yatra" from the party office here, said that the yatra will spread the ideologies of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia and Mulayam Singh Yadav down to the villages. PDA stand for Pichada, Dalit, Alpsankhyak-Muslims (backward, Dalits and minorities, especially Muslims) "We have taken a pledge to fulfil dreams of old socialists and the yatra will cover many districts of the state.

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