Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over repeated claims of corruption, stating that the opposition leader lacks evidence and is simply "belittling himself" in the eyes of the public.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV, Sarma said, "For the last two years, Rahul Gandhi has been coming to Assam and saying he will put Himanta Biswa Sarma in jail, but on what grounds will he send me to jail? If you level allegations against me, you have to prove them. Have you filed any PIL or FIR against me? You are only saying you will put me in jail."
"Rahul Gandhi is belittling himself in the eyes of the people. As far as the state is concerned, Rahul Gandhi is an outsider in Assam. If I went to Jharkhand and said I would put Hemant Soren behind bars, that is one thing. If the people of Jharkhand say it, that is a different thing. My view is that by coming and uttering this, he is an accused himself. His hands are not clean. When he says he will put me in jail, I get more sympathy from the people who are not politically active. I welcome Rahul Gandhi to come again and again and speak badly against me; I will get 5 per cent to 6 per cent more votes," Sarma said.
Sarma noted that his approach to public speaking has evolved significantly over the last decade. "Ten years ago, post-COVID, I started to give speeches differently. I spoke to the people as if they were family members. I asked them to dance with me, sing with me, and not talk about any negativity, but speak only about a positive agenda. Immediately, the environment became festive, and I have seen that it has paid a rich dividend," he explained.
He stated that moving away from a formal speaking style helped create "instant connectivity" with the public. Looking ahead to the polls, he added, "For the last year, I have been saying that we will get a historical mandate. I am confident that we will get 90 to 102 seats, but I am more inclined to expect 90-95 seats."
Discussing his political philosophy, Sarma emphasised that his governance is rooted in constitutional and traditional values. "I am working with the mandate of the constitution. It is not just Himanta Biswa Sarma speaking against beef; the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, also spoke against beef. Indian civilisation has certain ethos; we cannot simply copy the Western model of development. Our development has to go with spirituality and civilisational values. I particularly dismissed the Western model of development," he stated.
He further argued that India's progress must be distinct from that of other nations. "The Indian development process is unique; you cannot be like China or England. Our development has to go with spirituality and civilisational values. If you lose those civilisational values, you will kill the soul of India," Sarma added.
Reflecting on his administration's record, Sarma claimed his government is the cleanest in the country. "For the last five years, regional and national media have not published any corruption stories regarding our government. This is the cleanest government we have provided. There are no scams; we have provided employment which is pure beyond any doubt. My government is an example of the cleanest government in India. PM Modi advised people to come and see the Assam government recruitment model," he stated.
