Congress acting at behest of foreign powers: Himanta Biswa Sarma on electoral exercise

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on October 12 defended the need for a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, citing concerns over alleged infiltration from Bangladesh and the inclusion of foreign nationals in voter lists. He also accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the party of acting at the behest of foreign powers, escalating his criticism of the Opposition over electoral and institutional issues.

Speaking in Guwahati, Sarma referred to a statement allegedly made by former Union Home Minister Indrajit Gupta in Parliament regarding the inclusion of around 30 lakh foreign nationals in Assam's voter list. He argued that demographic changes in Assam, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar highlighted the need to examine electoral rolls and address concerns over illegal immigration.

"Why does the country need an SIR today?" Sarma asked, referring to the alleged presence of foreign nationals in electoral rolls. He claimed that infiltration from Bangladesh continued and linked it to demographic changes in several states.

The Chief Minister also criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her opposition to the SIR exercise, alleging that she had travelled to Delhi despite lacking the courage to organise street protests in West Bengal.

Defending the BJP's electoral performance in Assam's Nagaon, Sarma argued that public celebrations following the party's victory contradicted allegations of electoral malpractice. He said that if votes had been stolen, there would have been protests and public demonstrations against the result.

Sarma further claimed that people in constituencies dominated by religious minorities were also celebrating the BJP's victory. He cited this as an argument against allegations that the election outcome had been manipulated.

In a separate attack on the Congress, the Assam Chief Minister accused Rahul Gandhi and the party of acting at the behest of foreign powers.

"Rahul Gandhi and the entire Congress party are currently acting at the behest of foreign powers," Sarma said, alleging that the party was opposed to the Supreme Court, the Election Commission and Parliament, as well as the country's youth.

The remarks come amid political disagreements over electoral roll revision and allegations of illegal immigration, issues that have remained contentious in Assam and other parts of the country. Sarma's comments placed the SIR debate within the broader political confrontation between the BJP and the Congress.