Assam polls a fight between two opposing ideologies: Rahul Gandhi

Guwahati: Terming the Assam assembly polls a "fight between two opposing ideologies", Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Monday urged the people to vote for his party for peace, development and progress in the state.

Addressing three public rallies at Goalpara, Dhubri and Abhayapuri, Gandhi said if the BJP comes to power in Assam, the state will go back to those days when there was violence, bloodshed and tears everywhere 15 years back.

"This election is a fight between thoughts and ideologies. On one side, there is an ideology that fought against the British, brought the Constitution of India, loves and respects the citizens of the country -- the name of which is Congress."

"On the other hand, there is a thought which believes in breaking things, that wants people to fight against one another, wants to spread hatred -- the name for this thought is Narendra Modi, BJP, RSS," Gandhi said at a rally in Dhubri, located along the India-Bangladesh border.

"India does not belong to any particular caste or community. It belongs to all Indian citizens who have been living here," he said.

"The Congress is committed to secure the rights of all Indians and the party will not allow anyone to break the unity between the people of different castes, communities or religion," he assured.

Asking the people to recall what was the state 15 years back, he said: "There was violence, bloodshed and women were crying. There was no security in Assam then."

"At that time, those who believe in hatred and want people to fight, were in power. Then the Congress came and brought peace by uniting the people," Gandhi said, adding that the same situation will be repeated if the BJP comes to power.

Gandhi criticised Modi on his poll promise of bringing back black money from abroad, and said the central government was only interested in bringing the "Fair & Lovely" scheme through which "thieves and gundas (hooligans)" can convert their black money into white by paying a meagre tax.

Referring to the election results in Bihar, Gandhi said the people of Assam were going to repeat what the people of Bihar did.

"Modi ji went to Bihar to make some new promises. However, people asked him to go back to Delhi and fulfill the previous promises made during the Lok Sabha polls. The same is going to be repeated here," he said.