GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma insinuated on Thursday that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi may be employing a body double during his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'.
Himanta's latest comment comes amid a contentious verbal spat between the two leaders as Rahul had branded the BJP leader "one of the most corrupt Chief Ministers" during the party's eight-day yatra in Assam, now transitioning into West Bengal.
Speaking to media persons, Himanta cited a news report claiming that Gandhi was "using a body double" during his bus journey and that the person sitting in the bus and waving at the people from the window was "probably not Rahul at all."
"Rahul Gandhi has been using a 'body double' on his bus journeys. This means that the person sitting at the front of the bus and waving to the people probably is not Rahul Gandhi at all," he claimed.
"Rahul sits inside a room where there is a place created to host eight people. Though I have not seen him, you can look at this news posted on Twitter. Who is this person who sits in front of the bus and gets himself clicked by many, thinking that he is the real Rahul Gandhi?" the Assam CM claimed.
Pointing out the yatra’s timing, he alleged that the Congress scion had hatched a conspiracy to trigger communal violence in Assam.
"We got to see a trailer in Guwahati. He travelled through Assam during the Ram temple consecration, and a big clash occurred. But the people in our party and the devotees of Ram restrained themselves and did not allow any violence to take place," Sarma said.
"Assam has a 40 per cent Muslim population. On the Ram temple consecration day, he came through the Nagaon and Morigaon districts, where religious minorities account for 60 per cent of the population. Why did he choose those days (for the yatra) in a communally sensitive state?” Sarma asked.
He said his government was relieved that the Congress leader left the state on Thursday and claimed that every single day that he was here, the government suspected something or another would happen.
The Assam CM said he had nothing against people coming to see Gandhi, but did not want the Congress leader to enact a “drama” on the Ram temple consecration day because the repercussions could have been far-reaching.
Sarma also slammed Gandhi for the latter’s charge that he was not allowed to go to Batadrava Than, a monastery linked to saint-reformer Sankardeva. He said the state government and the monastery management had requested Gandhi visit the place after 3 pm on January 22.
"Thousands of people were there watching the Ram temple consecration ceremony. Can any government or temple committee allow a person to visit the place whose party boycotted the event? If he had visited Batadrava, there would have been a commotion," Sarma said.
"Could he not wait for two hours since he was going to the birthplace of Sankardeva?" the CM asked.
He said Gandhi’s intention was to go to the place, enact a drama, and divert the attention of people, but “we did not allow that to happen.”
Attacking Gandhi also for not visiting several satras (monasteries), Kamakhya temple, Bhupen Hazarika Samadhi Kshetra, Lachit Borphukan Moidam, and Dhubri Gurdwara, Sarma said the people of Assam would give a befitting reply to the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha elections for such "arrogance."
On the FIR registered against Gandhi for the violence in Guwahati when Congress supporters broke police barricades, the CM said the police would now send notices to the Congress leader and summon him after the Lok Sabha elections.
"He is our biggest asset during elections. He is saying he should be summoned now, but if we do that, we will be deprived of our biggest asset in the elections," Sarma said.
