Himanta accuses Rahul Gandhi of echoing ‘Bangladeshi, Pakistani mindsets’ over Indian values

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched a personal attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, calling him "anti-Indian" and accusing him of aligning more with "Bangladeshi and Pakistani" mindsets than with Indian values.

“Rahul Gandhi is not with Indian Hindus and Muslims. He is not with India,” said Sarma while addressing a BJP campaign rally in Tamulpur, as part of the party’s pre-election outreach programme in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).

Sarma’s remarks came amid the BJP's ongoing outreach drive across several BTR districts, including Chirang, Kokrajhar, and Baksa, where Chief Minister Sarma and state BJP president Bhabesh Kalita have been holding rallies to consolidate support. The campaign, dubbed “BJP for Progressive BTR”, is geared towards the upcoming BTR council polls scheduled for September.

The Assam CM’s comments were echoed by state BJP leaders who alleged that the Congress, in the name of opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and eviction drives, had emboldened encroachers and created unrest. BJP spokesperson Ranjit Kumar Sharma claimed that the party’s strong pro-eviction stance had found resonance with local communities, particularly in areas affected by land encroachment and illegal migration.

In Udalguri district, Sarma’s roadshows drew large crowds. He also received backing from groups like the Nagrik Adhikar Suraksha Manch and comedian Bulbul Sharma, who voiced support for the BJP’s position on eviction drives and the rights of indigenous people.

The BJP’s campaign is being actively carried out across all four BTR districts—Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, and Udalguri—along with parts of Tamulpur. The party has planned meetings in all 12 council constituencies on August 7, 12, and 13, with further events scheduled in Dhubri and Goalpara as well.

The BJP is positioning its drive against illegal encroachment and in favour of "strong governance" as a central issue, highlighting the BTR elections as a referendum on law and order and indigenous rights.