Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Raijor Dal marked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday as a Black Day on September 17. The party held the protest to spotlight the government’s failure to deliver flood relief in Upper Assam. While the rest of the state lit lamps for Ashirwad Ka Diya programs, Sivasagar MLA and party president Akhil Gogoi took to the streets.
Gogoi demanded accountability for the destruction caused by the July 19 floods. He claims residents in Sivasagar, Jorhat, and Charaideo lost their homes, vehicles, and crops. Families remain empty-handed despite official surveys. "The decision to observe the day as a Black Day was meant to highlight what the party described as the government’s failure to provide timely relief and compensation to families affected by the July floods," said Gogoi.
The protests wrapped up at 4 PM on September 16. The group demanded the immediate firing of state Water Resources Minister Sushanta Borgohain. They also called for the arrest of Sonari MLA Dharmeswar Konwar and Nazira MLA Mayur Borgohain. Gogoi mocked the Prime Minister’s vision of Assam as an engine of growth for the Northeast given the current wreckage.
Long-term disaster mitigation remains stalled. Gogoi slammed the government for ignoring promises to solve the region's recurring flood issues. He also warned that ongoing coal mining near the Assam-Nagaland border poses a major threat to Upper Assam’s stability.
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