Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (Left) and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (Right)
GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has launched a sharp attack on Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, accusing the party of undermining India’s democratic institutions to suit its political interests. The sharp attack comes at a time when the Congress party, under Rahul Gandhi, tried to pressurise the Supreme Court and took out a march to the top court after the CJI’s refusal to meet Rahul. CM Sarma also announced a series of BJP rallies across the state against the double standard of the Congress party.
In a statement issued on Monday, CM Sarma criticised the ongoing protest led by Rahul Gandhi. He said the party’s approach to democracy depends entirely on whether it wins.
“Democracy, for the Congress, is valid only when it delivers victory for the Congress,” CM Sarma said.
The Chief Minister pointed to what he called inconsistencies in the party’s stand. He said Gandhi questions Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s electoral victories but treats his own election to Parliament, and his position as Leader of the Opposition, as beyond doubt. CM Sarma added that the Congress rejects the outcome when Assam votes but welcomes it when Keralam does.
CM Sarma also criticised the Congress’s decision to take its protest to the Supreme Court after the Chief Justice of India reportedly declined to meet Rahul Gandhi. He described the move as an attempt to pressure the judiciary. “Constitutional institutions cannot be made answerable to a party’s electoral frustrations,” CM Sarma added.
To counter the Congress campaign, the Assam BJP will hold what CM Sarma called “peaceful mass rallies” at every district headquarters in the state. They begin tomorrow and run until October 31. According to the CM, the rallies will tell the public about three alleged Congress actions:
– Attempting to blackmail constitutional institutions
– Shielding illegal infiltrators by opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls
– Undermining the people’s democratic mandate
The programme will also be used to reaffirm the party’s support for Prime Minister Modi and his goal of a “Viksit Bharat” by 2047.
CM Sarma ended with a pointed message about the stakes. “The people’s mandate deserves respect. Our institutions deserve independence. Neither can be held hostage to political convenience,” he added.
