Himanta Sarma Criticizes Congress Over 'Distorted' India Map, Alleges Sale of Northeast
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the party shared a map of India on social media where the northeastern region was conspicuously absent.
This dispute unfolded when Gaurav Gogoi, a Congress MP from Assam, responded by raising questions about land deals involving companies connected to Sarma's family. Gogoi accused Sarma of avoiding addressing these matters.
Gogoi expressed concerns that his social media account on X (formerly Twitter) might have been "restricted," although there has been no official confirmation from the platform.
Seems the Congress party has secretly struck a deal to sell the entire land of North East to some neighbouring country. Is this why Rahul went abroad? Or has the party given membership to Sharjeel Imam? pic.twitter.com/oO9fLp86p8
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 16, 2023
Sarma shared a screenshot from the official X handle of the Congress. It featured an animated video with cartoon characters resembling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by a map that excluded the northeastern region. Sarma humorously remarked, "Seems the Congress party has secretly struck a deal to sell the entire land of Northeast to some neighboring country."
The map in question had a caricature of Rahul Gandhi, and the screenshot included an imaginary dialogue between Modi and Gandhi, inspired by the iconic 'Mere pass maa hai' dialogue from the 1975 Bollywood movie 'Deewar.' In the dialogue, Modi mentions that he has ED, police, government, money, and friends, and he questions what Gandhi possesses. Gandhi responds that the entire nation supports him.
Highlighting the absence of the northeastern region on the map, Sarma further speculated, "Is this why Rahul went abroad? Or has the party given membership to Sharjeel Imam?"
Sharjeel Imam is a student activist who was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for his alleged involvement in the 2020 riots during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in Delhi.
It is ironic to hear the Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma talk about land deals. It is exactly the issue that he is avoiding to answer in Assam in the context of the companies linked to his family. Please specify how much agricultural land has been bought by these companies. https://t.co/GfhGA3TaCs
— Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) September 16, 2023
Gogoi countered by questioning Sarma about land deals involving his family's companies. He sought specific information about the acquisition of agricultural land by these companies.
This exchange comes in the backdrop of allegations and controversies surrounding Sarma's family and their land deals, with his wife even threatening to file a defamation case against Gogoi.
Recently, another controversy arose when a local Assamese web portal reported that a significant parcel of agricultural land bought by Sarma's family members in Nagaon was reclassified as industrial land within a month.
Gogoi has expressed concerns that his X account might have faced restrictions and stated that Congress's social media cell will address the matter with X. However, as of now, he has not received official communication from the platform regarding any actions taken.
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