Guwahati, 18 January (HS): The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi over his opposition to the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor, whose foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day. BJP leaders said opposing such a crucial infrastructure project, long demanded by local residents, was unfortunate and politically motivated.

Assam Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah said Gogoi lacked an understanding of development and was therefore making such remarks. AGP president and Assam Minister Atul Bora alleged that the Congress leader was opposing the project purely for the sake of opposition, despite its importance for improving connectivity and traffic management in the Kaziranga region.

BJP MLA Diptlu Ranjan Sharma strongly criticised Gogoi’s stance, accusing him of being irresponsible towards Assam and indulging in appeasement politics. BJP MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa said, Gogoi still had much to learn in politics and that opposing development projects linked to public interest could not be justified.

BJP leaders maintained that people of Kaziranga had been waiting for the elevated corridor for years and that the project would not only ease transportation but also accelerate overall development in the region. They said opposing the project went against public sentiment.

Notably, opposing the project, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi had said that spending ₹7,000 crore on the elevated corridor would have been better utilised to address artificial waterlogging issues. He also expressed concerns that the construction would cause difficulties for wildlife in Kaziranga and lead to large-scale water pollution. Gogoi made the remarks while speaking to journalists after attending a programme in Hajo, Kamrup district.----------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash