Assam: Former Union Minister Rajen Gohain ends 34 years of ties, resigns from BJP
Assam: Former Union Minister Rajen Gohain ends 34 years of ties, resigns from BJP
Digital Desk: Rajen Gohain, a former Union Minister and four-term member of parliament, announced his resignation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, ending his 34-year affiliation with the party, which he joined in 1991.
The 74-year-old veteran sharply criticized the party and the state government after he resigned, pointing to a number of "broken promises" made to Assam's indigenous communities.
Gohain, a prominent BJP leader with strong ties to the RSS, was the Minister of State for Railways in 2016 and represented the Nowgong Lok Sabha seat from 1999 to 2019.
Gohain expressed profound dissatisfaction with the party's policies, saying, "While talking about ethnicity and homeland, the BJP allowed outsiders to settle at the expense of the indigenous Assamese people's land and resources."
Rajen Gohain attacked the BJP's approach to illegal immigration, accusing the government of failing to fulfill its vow to expel Bangladeshis from Assam since May 16, 2014.
However, his departure, which came ahead of the Assam Assembly elections, is considered as a big blow for the BJP.
He voiced concern about the delay in giving the Scheduled Tribe (ST) designation to six local communities, as well as the disrespect shown to dedicated grassroots party workers.
Gohain also chastised the state administration for encouraging nepotism, claiming that new restrictions harm local small enterprises while benefiting larger foreign firms. He warned of communal polarization under BJP rule, stating that the party is causing a split in Assamese society.
