Guwahati, Sept. 2: The BJP today hit back at Opposition Congress for criticising the Sarbananda Sonowal government in Assam on completing 100 days in power.

Assam BJP spokesperson Rupam Goswami, addressing a news conference here today, said after 15 years of misrule in the state, the Congress has no moral right to criticise the BJP-led government.

He said after being thrown out of power from the state, the Congress was now demoralised and needlessly attacking the BJP-led pro-development dispensation in the state.

Goswami claimed that many Congress stalwarts in the state are going to join their party shortly.

Assam PCC president Ripun Bora on August 31 had said increase in VAT, sky-rocketing prices of essentials, lack of adequate relief to the flood-hit, deteriorating law and order, poor condition of the national highways for lack of maintenance were some of the "failures" of the BJP-led government in Assam.

Echoing him, leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, said the new government has not worked substantially on 19 issues, including its inability to get special state status for Assam, resolve big dam issue, check erosion, setting up of AIIMS, NRC update, checking influx, completing the erstwhile government's development plans and projects and checking rhino poaching.

Refuting the Opposition's claims, the BJP spokesman defended the Sonowal government by saying the new government had taken many praiseworthy steps within a short span of 100 days. "One of the major things done by this government is that it had ended the VIP culture," Goswami said. He said during the Congress regime, siren-blaring VIP convoys used to cause inconvenience to the commuters but after becoming the chief minister one of the first things Sonowal did was to reduce the number of cars in the chief minister's convoy and took a decision not to use sirens.

"This government has taken steps to curb corruption, develop rural economy, dredge the Brahmaputra to solve the perennial flood and erosion problems, control price rise, done away with the requirement of holding interviews for grade III and IV government jobs, among others," he said. "Deputy commissioners of all districts were instructed to regularly visit the markets and take strong action against hoarders and black marketers," Goswami said.

Assam PCC spokesman Apurba Kumar Bhattacharyya said the BJP should have no reason to get annoyed when asked to give an account of work done by the state government in 100 days.

"The government had said it would fulfill many promises it had made to the people during its first 100 days in office. We want to know how many of the promises they had actually been able to fulfill," he said.

The Sonowal government completed its 100 days on August 31.

Bhattacharyya said the BJP had came power by cheating the people who voted for them by making false and unrealistic promises.