Rahul Gandhi promotes China, undermines India: Assam CM Himanta

Ranchi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of promoting China and undermining India.

"Rahul Gandhi promotes China in various ways. Undermining India, he tries to project China as the best nation. But, there is no democracy and no religious freedom for people in China. But, Gandhi doesn’t talk about them," Sarma told reporters at the Birsa Munda Airport here.

Sarma, who is also the BJP's election co-in-charge for Jharkhand Assembly polls, arrived here on a two-day visit.

Asserting that India, the US and other countries in the West are facing the problem of unemployment while China is not, as it is dominating global production, Gandhi underscored the need to focus on manufacturing during an interaction with students at the University of Texas in Dallas on Sunday.

The former Congress chief also said there is no shortage of skills in India and the country could compete with China if it starts aligning itself for production.

Reacting to Sarma’s remarks, senior Congress leader and the party’s former Jharkhand president Rajesh Thakur said, "Everyone knows who promotes China. Sarma should not mislead people of the country by making such statements. They should first look inside."

Replying to a query, the Assam CM said 12-14 MLAs of the Congress and two-three MLAs of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) are in touch with the BJP.

"But, we don’t have enough space for them for the upcoming assembly polls," he said.

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren and a former JMM MLA Lobin Hembrom recently switched to BJP.

Speaking about the recent deaths of excise constable aspirants, he said the BJP has demanded a job and Rs 50 lakh compensation for the kin of the deceased.

"Jharkhand CM accusing Covid vaccine for the death of the aspirants. The CM himself took the vaccine and told people that Covid vaccine is safe," he said.

He said he would meet two families who lost their members in the recruitment drive.

The physical tests for the Jharkhand excise constable recruitment drive, which began on August 22, were halted following the deaths of 12 aspirants.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren had ordered the suspension of the drive from September 3 to September 5 due to these fatalities.

The remaining part of the drive for around 1.14 lakh candidates will resume on September 10 with revised norms.