Bhupen Kumar Borah, the head of the Assam Congress, appealed the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore on Tuesday to :withdraw’ the fellowship awarded to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Borah asserted that the chief minister ‘stands for all that is wrong in Indian politics’ and emphasised that the Father of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew was a model politician who shown honesty, hard work, and decency throughout his life.
Borah wrote an open letter on the microblogging platform X in which he expressed his ‘astonishment’ at Sarma receiving the Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship.
He added that Sarma is ‘accused of several financial scams’ and makes ‘highly communalized statements against minorities,’ citing several news stories to support his claim.
Rupam Goswami, a BJP spokesperson, responded to Borah’s letter by saying the Congressman should have been pleased that his state’s chief minister was being awarded.
‘He (Sarma) may be from the BJP, but this fellowship is for the chief minister and not any party member. Bhupen Borah is a negative person and tries to find out negative things even in a positive development,’ Goswami said.
Sarma is the first Assam chief minister to receive this accolade. Individuals who have made noteworthy contributions to the growth of their nation and bilateral ties with Singapore are given the fellowship.
This fellowship has previously been awarded to notable Indians, including former Union minister Arun Shourie, chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and former vice-chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
Post Your Comments