'Man who ran away from Congress is now Assam's CM': Kharge takes jibe at Himanta Biswa Sarma; slams PM's five-nation tour
on Wednesday, claiming that the grand old party had to lend its member so that the
could form a government in the state.
During a party workers' gathering on his one-day visit to the state, Kharge stated, "The BJP had been trying to form the government in Assam for decades, but were not able to do so.
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It was only after borrowing a member from us and making him the chief minister, they could form their own government.
"
"The man who ran away from the Congress is now the chief minister of Assam," he added.
Prior to joining the BJP in 2015, Sarma served as a minister in the Congress-led Assam government.
Kharge condemned Himanta Biswa Sarma's recent statement about pig rearing as a means to protect land from a specific religious group, stating, "The CM is spreading venom with such remarks.
The law and order is under you, and you are saying such things."
The Congress president accused the current BJP government in Assam of substantial corruption and declared, "Those who have wronged people will be sent to jail. They should repair prisons now, as they will have to stay there."
Addressing the BJP's claims of progress under their dual governance at national and state levels, the Congress leader remarked, "What we saw today is that to travel 30 km from Guwahati, it took us two hours. Is this the development this government claims?"
He stated that Assam's residents were facing intimidation under the pretext of identifying illegal immigrants, and expressed confidence that voters would respond appropriately to the BJP-led administration in the upcoming election.
The Congress president criticised the BJP regarding a recent Gir cows allocation controversy, stating that whilst they claim to worship cows, they have proven to be 'cow thieves' in this instance.
He noted that despite media intimidation, whilst some might retreat due to such pressure, others who remain undaunted will support the public.
He warned that the BJP administration might employ strategies like voter list modifications and constituency delimitation against Congress in Assam, and advised party members to remain watchful.
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Kharge outlined that a Congress government would ensure children's education, employment for Assam's youth and optimal wages for tea garden workers.
He cautioned that Dalits, SC, ST and OBC communities need to be vigilant, as their reservations could be eliminated by the central BJP government.
Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kharge pointed out his five-nation tour whilst failing to spare two hours for troubled Manipur.
He remarked on Modi's recent distribution of appointment letters, noting that leaders like "Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Narasimha Rao or their own Vajpayee" never engaged in such activities.
He emphasised that national security should be the Prime Minister's primary focus.
Kharge questioned the BJP's legacy, comparing it to Nehru's era of establishing major factories and PSUs, suggesting the current government lacks memorable achievements.
He accused Modi of enabling his associates to exploit the poor whilst securing benefits for himself and his party.
He stressed the importance of collective action to preserve the Constitution.
He stated that the Constitution underpins democracy, accusing RSS and BJP of attempting to alter it.
Kharge encouraged party workers to unite under new state president Gaurav Gogoi to defeat the current government in the upcoming election.
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