Shillong: Former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday appealed to the Meghalaya voters not to fall for the BJP's "false promises" of turning it into a model state in case the party was voted to power.
"They (BJP) promise everything. They will promise even the Moon. They promised to give two lakh jobs annually (before the 2014 general elections). I want to ask them how much central government jobs they have given to Meghalaya," he asked while speaking to journalists here.
"They talk of Gujarat as a model state, but what have they done to the tribals in Gujarat? They have only exploited the religious sentiments of its people," Gogoi said.
Voicing fear that the Hindutva movement is gaining ground in the country, the veteran Congress legislator said: "Such development is against democracy and secularism in India."
Election to the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly will be held on February 27.
The Congress leader claimed that people of Assam who voted for the Bharatiya Janata Party are now realising their mistake.
"In Assam, after the BJP came to power, the condition of roads has worsened and prices of essential commodities have gone up."
He also accused the NDA government at the Centre of taking away the special category status from northeastern states.
"What did Prime Minister Narendra Modi give in the last four years? They snatched the special category status of Meghalaya. Instead of giving more, assistance they are only paying lip service," Gogoi said.
He also said that the BJP-led central government was only good in repackaging old schemes (started by the earlier United Progressive Alliance government).
"The Congress wants all flowers to bloom but the BJP wants only the lotus to bloom," Gogoi said.
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