Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar accused Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of corruption and hooliganism even as he attacked the BJP government in the state.
In a veiled jibe at Union Minister Amit Shah, the Congress leader called on voters to expel infiltrators from Gujarat out of the state.
“When I came here, a journalist told me that the problem here is infiltration. I said the biggest infiltrator came from Gujarat and he will be expelled along with Himanta Biswa Sarma,” Kanhaiya said at a rally in Bongaigaon, Assam on Sunday. Although the speech was delivered earlier this week, the video recently went viral.
The Congress leader apparently made this reference at Amit Shah, claiming that “all the thieves and those involved in corruption joined the BJP”, adding that the home minister “was the sardar (leader) of the thieves”.
He also criticized the state government for corruption and migration from the state. He claimed that “Assam will face the same fate as Manipur” if Himanta Biswa Sarma becomes Prime Minister when the results of the Assembly elections come out on May 4.
While reacting to Kanhaiya Kumar’s statement, Congress leader Tariq Anwar said: “I did not hear what he said, but if he said it, obviously there must be some reason behind it. I think it is not a mistake.”
The Congress leader’s comments come after a dispute broke out
Kanhaiya’s remarks come after the Congress president sparked a row during a rally in Kerala with a controversial remark about the people of Gujarat. Days later, the Congress president apologized for his remarks.
At a rally in Idukki, the Congress president called the people of Gujarat “illiterate” and claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had cheated them. He added that the people of Kerala will not be fooled by Prime Minister Modi nor Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
“Do not mislead the people of Kerala. They are very intelligent and educated. You, Modiji and Vijayan, can fool the illiterate people in Gujarat or elsewhere, but you cannot fool the people of Kerala,” the Congress president said.
Kharge later expressed regret over the statement and said that he always had and will continue to have the highest respect for the people of the state.
“Some remarks I made in a recent election speech in Kerala were deliberately misinterpreted. However, I express my sincere regret,” he said in a post on X.
