- Himanta Biswa Sarma alleged a rift between Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi
- Rahul Gandhi assigned Priyanka to Assam to keep her away from Kerala, he claimed
- Citing his earlier Congress links, he called himself a victim of the rift between Gandhis
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has ripped into the Gandhi family during his Davos debut with allegations of a rift between senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. During a chat with NDTV Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal in the picturesque Swiss ski resort, the senior BJP leader, who was earlier in the Congress, dubbed himself a "victim" of a rift between the Gandhi siblings.
Vadra, a Congress MP from Kerala's Wayanad, now heads an election committee in Assam.
The only possible interpretation behind such an assignment is that Rahul Gandhi doesn't want her to interfere in the party's Kerala affairs, Sarma claimed.
"Rahul doesn't want Priyanka in Kerala. I was in Congress for 22 years. I also have some inner information. He doesn't want to disturb KC Venugopal and his axis, and Priyanka is an outsider to that axis. That's why he transferred her to Assam. An MP from Kerala has not been assigned responsibility in Kerala. How else do you interpret this?" said the chief minister.
He has also slammed the Gandhis as the "world's biggest flop family". "I think my family is better than theirs. We grew up struggling," he added.
Sarma On Gaurav Gogoi
Sarma denied any personal rivalry with Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, and said it was his responsibility to flag developments regarding an "enemy country" to the central government. He had earlier accused Gogoi and his wife of having links with the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.
Doubling down on his charges, he said he wouldn't have pursued the case himself if the issue were related to a less serious matter.
"But when the link is to an enemy country, and I do not forward it to the Government of India, then as a chief minister, I will be doing a disservice to the Constitution and people. Pakistan is an enemy country and a hostile neighbour. Links with Pakistan cannot be compared with a corruption charge," added the chief minister.
In a reference to the Hindi spy thriller Dhurandhar, he then quipped, “If you catch a spy, will you not expose him?”
Sarma On Bangladesh
Sarma also expressed his security concerns over the weakened ties with Bangladesh. Assam tackled extremism with help from the Sheikh Hasina regime, he said, adding that the Northeast would not have been peaceful without that help from the ousted Bangladeshi premier.
“When the regime in Bangladesh changes and hostility comes towards India, there is a risk that militants will form a base in Bangladesh again. If that happens, because we share 800 km of border, there is a big risk for us. So, we are closely watching the development,” he added.
Sarma's Davos Debut
On his Davos debut, he also spoke about his plans to transform Assam, with his vision going beyond the traditional hydrocarbon industries to capitalise on the semiconductor boom.
"India is a diverse country. We must take care of every state. If one part becomes developed only to cater to the global ecosystem, and there's nothing on the other side, then the country will collapse," he said, underlining the need for Assam to grow.
He said Assam is a critical state that is landlocked and tucked away near the border, but despite those challenges, it remains one of the fastest-growing big states.
In view of the upcoming state elections, he also touched upon the issues of identity and a change in the state's demography.
"In Assam, we need development. For us, national security and the identity of the Assamese people are paramount. The demographic change is a huge concern. We are fighting for both our identity and development," added the chief minister.
The senior BJP leader concluded with a jibe at Bengal, calling Assam a rather peaceful state with no fear of stones being thrown.
