New Delhi: Slamming the BJP over the alleged attack on the vehicle of Congress leader Jairam Ramesh in Assam, party president Mallikarjun Kharge said the saffron party was so “scared” of the success of the Bharat Jodo Nyay yatra that they were resorting to such tactics, news agency PTI reported.
Taking potshots at Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Kharge equated him with a “cat that meows at its owner”. He was hinting at Sarma’s entry into politics through the Congress.
“No stone was hurled during the first yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. No one tried to threaten us even though we crossed many BJP-ruled states. Even in Nagpur, which has the RSS headquarters, lakhs of people joined us and there was no incident. Why is it happening in Assam? It is happening here because (prime minister Narendra) Modi ji's 'chela' (disciple), who blindly listens to his 'sahab' (boss),” PTI quoted Kharge as saying.
Citing the attack Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah earlier in the day, Kharge further said that the country has gotten intolerant and the accused the BJP of “orchestrating the attack on the peaceful yatra”, PTI reported.
“The yatra is going on so successfully here that BJP people are scared and they attacked our state party chief. But he (Borah) is not afraid, nor any Congress worker. Our state president was bleeding from his nose. Where has tolerance gone in the country? Our people were conducting a peaceful yatra,” PTI quoted Kharge as saying.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged that his vehicle was attacked by a crowd “sent by the BJP” and claimed that Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma was behind it.
Taking to X, he wrote, “My vehicle was attacked a few minutes ago at Jumugurihat, Sunitpur by an unruly BJP crowd who also tore off the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra stickers from the windshield. They threw water and shouted anti-BJNY slogans. But we kept our composure, waved to the hooligans and sped away. This is undoubtedly the Assam CM @himantabiswa’s doing. We are not intimidated and will soldier on.”