"Why didn't you negotiate the chicken neck?" Assam CM questions Congress

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched a sharp attack on the Congress party over their historical handling of India-Pakistan relations, especially in the context of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Speaking in reference to #OperationSindoor, Sarma questioned the Congress’s strategic decisions following the surrender of Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) to India.

He demanded clarity from the Congress on whether, had they been in power during #OperationSindoor, they would have chosen to continue military action even after the Pakistani DGMO surrendered. Drawing parallels with past decisions, Sarma criticized the Congress leadership during Indira Gandhi’s tenure for what he called a failure to secure long-term strategic benefits following India's victory in the 1971 war.

“They say Indira Gandhi created Bangladesh. Then why didn't you negotiate for the chicken neck? You could have converted it into a proper road link connecting the Northeast with the rest of India,” Sarma remarked. He added that the Congress had the opportunity to gain at least 100 kilometers of territory from Bangladesh to establish a seamless connection with the Northeast, but failed to act in India's strategic interest.

Taking his criticism further, Sarma said, “If Indira Gandhi were alive today, I would ask her—if you won a war, why did you allow the formation of an Islamic republic right next to us? Why didn’t you ensure negotiations for territorial and strategic advantages?”