GUWAHATI , Feb 17 : Training his guns once again on the Congress, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday that while Sonia Gandhi had approved his swearing-in as Assam Chief Minister in 2014, Rahul Gandhi “sabotaged it from US and ensured that Tarun Gogoi continued as the chief minister”.
Sarma on Tuesday claimed that then Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had asked him to decide his swearing-in date; however, Rahul Gandhi ensured Tarun Gogoi remained the chief minister.
The Assam Chief Minister referred to a political situation that took place in Assam years back when there was dissidence in the then ruling Congress. During that period, a leadership crisis hit the Congress when around 58 party MLAs backed Himanta Biswa Sarma as chief minister.
Sarma had resigned from the Congress in 2015 and joined the BJP. Congress lost the assembly elections and BJP came to power and formed the government with Sarbananda Sonowal as the Chief Minister in 2016.
“Madam (Sonia Gandhi), whom I still refer to as Madam, had asked me to decide the date for my swearing-in and I had told her that I would take oath after the Ambubachi Mela in June (2014),” Sarma said.
“However, things changed after Rahul Gandhi who was then in the United States. He made some phone calls to Congress leaders and ensured that Tarun Gogoi remained the Chief Minister,” he said.
“Even Congress leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge used to tell everyone that Himanta has the support of 58 MLAs,” he said.
”I was hurt then, but now I believe that whatever happens in one’s life is for the best. As the BJP CM, I got a chance to serve both Assam and Sanatan dharma wholeheartedly, which would not have been possible had I been in Congress,” Sarma said.
Sarma on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court’s refusal to entertain a plea seeking action against him over a social media post allegedly depicting to target Muslims.
The apex court bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi asked the petitioners to move the Gauhati High Court with their pleas. The court has also asked why the petitioners hadn’t moved the Gauhati HC, warning them not to undermine its authority.
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) had lodged a formal police complaint over the now-deleted “point-blank shot” video posted on the state BJP’s X handle.
In the complaint filed at the Dispur police station, Congress MLAs Sibamoni Bora and Diganta Barman alleged that the video, posted on February 7, depicted chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma holding a gun and symbolically targeting members of a minority community with a caption that read “Point blank shot”.
(UNI(
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