'Rahul Gandhi too feels humiliated in Congress—what's value of mine?': Bhupen Borah

Former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah has disclosed a revealing exchange with Rahul Gandhi that prompted his party switch. He resigned from Congress on February 16, dealing a setback ahead of the Assam assembly polls.

Borah described raising his humiliation within the party during a call from Gandhi post-resignation. "I had told Rahul Gandhi that I am feeling humiliated in the party, and then he said that he was also feeling humiliated. Then what is the value of my humiliation? I cannot tolerate such humiliation as I do not have so much capacity," he said.

State Congress president Gaurav Gogoi accused Borah of accepting Rs 50 crore from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to defect. Borah hit back, saying he would take the money openly if offered, in front of the press.

He tied the figure to his late father's dream of a stadium on 12 bighas of reserved land. "My father had a dream of building a stadium... He died in 2019," Borah said. "This wish of my father is in my heart, but to build a state-of-the-art stadium, Rs 50 crore will not be enough. But I will accept it and start the work."

The 126-member Assam assembly goes to polls in March-April.