Patna, Nov 4 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the BJP's ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao’ campaign in Bihar's Purnea district on Wednesday, triggering political debate with his controversial remarks linking the Congress leader to Bangladesh.
Defending the revision of electoral rolls and the removal of names such as Babar and Aurangzeb from voter lists, Sarma said there was nothing objectionable about the exercise and accused Rahul Gandhi of raising unwarranted concerns over the issue.
Taking a dig at the Congress leader, Sarma said that he, along with Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari, would send Rahul Gandhi to Bangladesh, where he could perhaps win an election.
He remarked that since Rahul Gandhi was unable to win elections in Bihar, West Bengal or Assam, Bangladesh could be a suitable destination for him.
Sarma also targeted Rahul Gandhi over his allegations of 'vote theft', saying that the issue was not about stealing votes but about 'stealing hearts'.
Referring to the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, he said a grand temple now stands at the site where the Babri Masjid had existed for nearly 500 years. He questioned whether this development could also be described as 'stealing hearts'.
Speaking about the Seemanchal region of Bihar, Assam and West Bengal, the Assam Chief Minister said the situation in these areas was well known and demanded that the Election Commission undertake a fresh Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
He reiterated that names such as Babar and Aurangzeb should be removed from voter lists, arguing that such action represented a 'theft of hearts' rather than a 'theft of votes'.
His remarks have sparked political discussion, particularly over references to Bangladesh and the linkage of electoral roll revision with historical and religious figures. The BJP's ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao’ campaign was launched in Bhagalpur earlier this week and is being carried forward across several regions as part of the party's outreach programme.
--IANS
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