'Scared' BJP attacks Cong Nyay Yatra in Assam, says Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday claimed that the ruling BJP in Assam is so ''scared'' of the success of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra that they attacked the state PCC chief without any reason.

Kharge said the party's first Bharat Jodo Yatra in 2022-23 had passed through several BJP-ruled states but ''no stone was hurled'' at it.

He also hit out at Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, equating him with a cat that meows at its owner, referring to the BJP leader's entry into politics through the Congress.

Kharge also criticised the CM for a recent social media post, which purportedly contained derogatory casteist remarks against the Dalits.

Addressing a rally in Nagaon district as part of the yatra, Kharge said, ''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,'' he said.

''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),'' he said.

Referring to the attack on state Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah earlier in the day, Kharge said, ''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,'' he added.

Borah was assaulted when his car was crossing a BJP programme at Jamugurihat in Sonitpur.

Recalling Sarma's roots in the Congress, Kharge said, ''It is a case of 'meri billi, mujh he se meow'. The cat which was with us earlier is now 'meowing' at us. We have seen many such people and they cannot scare us. Congress was not afraid of British, how can we be afraid of the BJP.'' He claimed that Sarma started abusing Congress as soon as he joined the BJP and questioned, ''Do you abuse the mother who gave birth to you? We don't do.'' He also mentioned how Sarma was termed 'corrupt' by BJP leaders Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, but when he ''sat on their laps, he was cleansed by the washing machine''.

He also claimed that Sarma looked down on the Dalits as was evident from a recent social media post by the chief minister.

Reading out the English translation of the purported post which was in Sanskrit, Kharge said, ''It read 'Agriculture, dairy farming, commerce are for those with qualities of Vaishyas, serving through work is natural duty for those with qualities of Sudras'.'' ''Dalits, Sudras will always serve Himanta as he is a Brahmin. If you want slavery, vote for BJP. If you want to live free, save Ambedkar's constitution, Nehru's democracy, then be with the Congress,'' the party chief appealed.

Claiming that it was during Congress regimes at the Centre that states of Northeast were given their due status, Kharge maintained that the party works to unite people, while the BJP tries to divide.

''The BJP wants to run country from Delhi. They espouse the concept of one nation, one leader, one language, one election, one ideology. RSS-BJP want to impose and he (Sarma) is their chela,'' he said.