Assam Cong chief urges Singapore institute to withdraw fellowship for Himanta

Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah on Tuesday urged Singapores Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy to withdraw the fellowship bestowed on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, alleging that the BJP leader stands for all that is wrong in Indian politics.

Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah on Tuesday urged Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy to ''withdraw'' the fellowship bestowed on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, alleging that the BJP leader ''stands for all that is wrong in Indian politics''. In an open letter to the Dean of the institution, Borah said he was 'astounded' that the Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship, named after Singapore's first prime minister, has been awarded to Sarma. The BJP leader became the first chief minister of Assam to be given the honour. The fellowship is conferred on individuals in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the development of their nation and bilateral relations with Singapore. Reacting to the letter, the BJP said that the honour is for the chief minister of the state and not any party leader, but the state Congress president tries to find out negativity even in a positive development.

Borah, in his open letter, highlighted that Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding prime minister, was an exemplary statesman who demonstrated honesty, hard work and civility all his life. "On the other hand, Himanta Biswa Sarma exemplifies the opposite of everything that Lee Kuan Yew stood for. In fact, he stands for all that is wrong in Indian politics," the Congress leader claimed in the letter.

Citing various news reports, Borah alleged that Sarma is 'accused of several financial scams' and makes 'highly communalised statements against minorities'.

Claiming that the chief minister failed to provide basic services to citizens, while the state has 'gone deeper and deeper into indebtedness', Boarah urged the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy to withdraw the fellowship bestowed on Sarma.

Reacting to Borah's letter, BJP spokesperson Rupam Goswami said the Congress leader should have been proud that the chief minister of his state is being honoured. ''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.'' Earlier, Indian personalities such as former Union Minister Arun Shourie, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and former vice-chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia received this fellowship.

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