Even as the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and Opposition parties like the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and BJP accused the UPA Government at the Centre of discriminating between Assam and Bihar over the recent floods in the two states, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said he would present a detailed report on the Assam flood situation before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday.
“I am going to take up the present flood situation with the Prime Minister and the UPA chairperson on Saturday,” Gogoi said in an official statement here. Over 20 lakh people have been badly affected in as many as three successive waves of floods that have hit Assam since June, while at least 32 persons have lost their lives.
Gogoi said he would also request all his ministers and MLAs, including those belonging to the Bodo people’s Front (BPF), the Congress party’s ally in the Government, to donate one month’s salary towards the flood-affected people of the state. “I have also requested all MPs to provide Rs 10 lakh each from their MPLAD funds,” he said.
Gogoi’s statement came after the AGP, BJP, AASU and other organisations not only complained of step-motherly attitude of the UPA towards the flood-affected people of Assam, but also asked the PM to vacate his Rajya Sabha seat from the state. MPs from the state have meanwhile said that they would not donate money for the Bihar flood victims as directed by the Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha chairman because funds were also required for the Assam flood victims.
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