Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Credit: PTI Photo
Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah got into a social media clash when Himanta called out Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra, which is passing through Assam right now. He claimed that not even 2,000 people came to see Rahul at any one place.
Himanta's comments came after Siddaramaiah posted videos of Rahul's Yatra in Assam on X, slamming Himanta for the attacks on Yatra, FIR on Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, K C Venugopal, Kanhaiya Kumar and others, and how the yatra members were denied permission to visit the birthplace of Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva, to "please the higher ups."
He added, "Over 50,000 Yatris, including Rahul Gandhi, were stopped at Guwahati's border. Himanta's plan to use state resources to arrest them will not deter Shri Rahul Gandhi. The Yatra for justice shall continue."
In a reply to Siddaramaiah's tweet, Himanta attacked him calling an "avare" and wrote, "Siddaramaiah avare, 50,000? Throughout the 500+ km journey not even 2,000 people came to see him at one place. Please look at the video you have posted and count the number of people. Assam is with Ram and not with Ravana."
In a fresh tweet on Wednesday, Himanta said, Rahul "quietly came out of his fancy bus" and moved to his next destination. He added, "Rahul has set a new standard for being a Darpok."
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a fresh jibe also dared the BJP-ruled state to file "as many cases as they can" and said that he will still not be intimidated.
Siddaramaiah previously on Tuesday said fringe elements in the BJP were trying to obstruct Rahul's Yatra.
“Disrupting Rahul Gandhi’s march is snatching the liberty of an individual. Rahul Gandhi is doing the march to understand the problems of the nation, its people and the society. Some fringe elements in the BJP are trying to obstruct the march. So, the Congress is protesting against it,” the Karnataka Chief Minister said.
Rahul on Tuesday said he was not allowed to interact with students of a private university in Meghalaya as part of 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' at the 'instructions' of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Previously when the Yatra was attacked in Assam, the United Opposition Forum in Assam demanded the resignation of Himanta Biswa Sarma for “failure” in maintaining law and order in the state.