Rahul Vs Himanta: Assam CM says will arrest Congress leader after Lok Sabha polls
GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would be arrested after the Lok Sabha elections in connection with Tuesday’s violence during the party's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in Guwahati.
“We will arrest him after Lok Sabha elections. A case has been registered. An SIT (special investigation team) will investigate it,” Sarma told journalists on Wednesday.
“If we arrest him now, people will think it’s a political move. In any case, we are winning in Assam and therefore, there is no point going blitzkrieg politically now. The state should remain peaceful,” he added.
Accusing Gandhi of provoking people to break barricades erected by the police, Sarma said there could have been a bigger incident on Tuesday. He said the whole idea of the Congress was to make Assam restless but the state government foiled it.
“When you visit a state as a guest, you have to follow the rules framed by the government of that state. They said they were prevented from entering Guwahati but the reality is they passed through Guwahati. Did they go to Barpeta from Nagaon in a rocket?” the Assam CM asked.
He said a route in Guwahati was designated for the yatra. He criticised Gandhi for not visiting the Bhupen Hazarika Samadhi Kshetra and other places of worship, including some linked to 15th-16th century saint-reformer Sankardeva.
“That day, the Congress made a hue and cry to allow Rahul Gandhi to enter the Batadrava Than but he did not visit the Bhupen Hazarika Samadhi Kshetra (in Guwahati). He passed through Hajo and we have Poa Mecca and Hayagrib Madhab Mandir there but he did not stop for even one minute,” Sarma said.
He said if Gandhi really respected Sankardeva, the Congress leader could have visited the Barpeta Satra, which was founded by the saint, and the Patbaushi Satra, which were on the yatra’s way. Meanwhile, Gandhi continued with his attack of Sarma.
“Your CM is remote-controlled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah. The day your chief minister speaks anything for Assam’s benefit, he will be thrown away by Amit Shah. It will take just one minute,” Gandhi said addressing people in lower Assam’s Dhubri district.