"Cancelled all my programs in upper Assam to avoid clash with Cong yatra as a gesture": CM Sarma

Guwahati (Assam) [India], January 17 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said he has cancelled all his pre-planned events in the state's upper districts on January 18-19 to avoid a clash with the programmes of Congress during its Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in those areas.
Addressing a press conference here in Guwahati on Tuesday, the Assam CM said that the state government had announced the dates for the distribution of the forms for the welfare schemes even before it was aware of Rahul Gandhi's arrival in the state for his yatra.
"It is Rahul Gandhi's (yatra schedule) that is coinciding with our welfare dates (dates on which forms are to be distributed for a new scheme), not us who planned for this. These dates were declared even before we knew he was coming," Sarma said.
He also took a jibe at the Congress party, saying that the people are "ashamed" of attending gatherings and meetings of the grand old party and added that except for a particular community, other people will not attend the programmes.
Earlier, several Congress leaders had accused the Assam government of fixing the date for the form-distribution schedule of the newly announced scheme for rural women in 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, adding, "Again, on January 18 and 19, I had a pre-determined programme of Ration Card distribution in Jorhat and Dergaon, which was also cancelled. So, beyond that, I can't accommodate. I cancelled all my programmes in Upper Assam on January 18 and 19, which were declared one month ago. I thought it would put the Majuli administration in difficulty, so I have cancelled my visit."
The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will travel across 833 km in 17 districts of Assam, beginning from Sivasagar on January 18.
The Assam CM also hit out at the Congress and alleged that the party's ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', which started from Manipur on Sunday, espoused anti-Hindu sentiments.
"Congress's yatra is an ideological one. They are anti-Hindu, and we are pro-Hindu. That's the ideological conflict. I agree that it's an ideological yatra of espousing anti-Hinduism sentiments. We are pro-Hindu and pro-all other communities. Today, the Gandhi family (and the Congress) is communal, as they have declared themselves an anti-Hindu political party," Sarma said.