The veteran minority leader and president of All-India United Democratic Front Badruddin Ajmal here on Sunday clarified that he was not lobbying to remove Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi .
Referring Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi’s remark on Saturday where in he alleged that Mr Ajmal was lobbying with his some party leaders to remove him, Mr Ajmal clarified, “I have no personal enmity with chief minister and in fact I visited him very recently and had sweets at his residence.”
He however admitted that he had very cordial relationship with majority of the Congress party legislators but it does not mean that it was to destabilise his government.
Pointing out that he of course criticised him for his failure in containing the violence, Mr Ajmal said, “I never prayed to harm him or topple his government. I will always pray for his good health and success.”
Earlier on Saturday Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters that he would like to wish good luck to Mr Ajmal who was lobbying to remove him.
Mr Ajmal said, “If I have criticised Mr Gogoi it was only because his government failed to protect minorities of the state.”
He reiterated, “As a political opponent, I will continue to criticise him but it does not mean we are enemy.”
Mr Gogoi’s remark came a day after the AIUDF leader met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and demanded immediate scrapping of the Bodoland Territorial Council and dismissal of Tarun Gogoi as the chief minister of the state for keeping ties with the BTC leadership.