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Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma: “Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge’s recent visit and speech provoked evicted people of Goalpara to confront Assam Police and forest officials.”
Assam CM Sarma showed the thumb to Rahul Gandhi. (News18)
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday blamed Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge for the violent clash that erupted on Thursday morning during an eviction drive at the Paikan Reserve Forest in Goalpara district.
“Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and president Mallikarjun Kharge’s recent visit and speech in public meeting provoked the evicted people of Goalpara district to confront Assam Police and forest officials. One person died and 21 police persons were injured in the incident. To resist the mob, police had to open fire. For this, Rahul Gandhi may be accused and arrested,” said Sarma.
Talking to the media, Sarma said an investigation would be conducted into the incident.
Sarma said that after eviction only about 40 families were taking shelter in the nearby area of the forest, “but just after Gandhi’s visit, on the very next day, the evicted people became violent”. “They attacked police,” he said.
Regarding Congress’s support to the encroacher, he said, “Their party stands with the intruders and foreigners.”
He also said that Gandhi and Kharge, in a public meeting held near Guwahati, assured all evicted persons to get them back their land. “They promised land to minority immigrants. Gandhi said the same words that Rockibul Hussain (MP Dhubri) said in Chapor after eviction. So they made it clear that if the Congress comes to power, the encroachers will get back the 1,29,000 bighas we have cleared of encroachment.”
When asked about Gandhi’s remarks that “Himanta Biswa Sarma will be put in jail by the people of Assam”, the CM replied in Assamese, “Let me tell Rahul Gandhi one thing clearly: I am an Assamese, born in Assam. I didn’t grow up drinking milk from a feeding bottle; I was fed my mother’s milk. So, I’m showing Rahul Gandhi the ‘burha anguli’ (thumb). Even Congress members are upset with what he said here. They called me and said, ‘Dada (elder brother), did he come here to say all this?’ Therefore, I’m showing him a ‘burha anguli’!”
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- Location :
Assam, India, India
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