Daijiworld Media Network – Guwahati

Guwahati, Jul 18: In a fiery war of words that has escalated political tensions in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took a dramatic swipe at Rahul Gandhi, responding with a dismissive "thenga" hand gesture to the Congress leader’s claim that the Assam CM would be jailed over corruption allegations.

Speaking at a late-night press briefing on Thursday, Sarma accused Gandhi of inciting unrest during his visit to Chaygaon and firmly rejected his allegations. “I’m an Assamese, born here. I didn’t grow up drinking milk from a feeding bottle. I was fed my mother’s milk,” Sarma said in Assamese, adding, “So I’m showing Rahul Gandhi a big thenga! Even Congress leaders are embarrassed by his remarks.”

The row comes a day after Gandhi’s charged speech, in which he stated, “Himanta Biswa Sarma will be put in jail by the people of Assam.”

Sarma alleged that Gandhi’s comments were linked to a violent eviction clash at the Paikan Reserve Forest in Goalpara district, which erupted on Thursday morning. Twenty-one police and forest officials were injured, and one person died in police firing after alleged encroachers resisted eviction efforts with stones and sticks.

“Rahul Gandhi’s speech emboldened these people,” Sarma claimed. “He promised them houses on government land and indirectly provoked them to resist eviction.”

Goalpara DC Prodip Timung confirmed that the eviction was lawful and that a police case has been filed over the violence. Two others injured in the clash remain hospitalised.

Sarma said the government is reviewing speeches by both Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to see if there is any direct incitement to the violence. “If links are found, action will be taken,” he warned.

He also referenced ongoing investigations by central agencies: “Many jails are waiting for the Gandhis. Today, ED has seized several properties linked to Robert Vadra,” Sarma added.
During his Assam tour, Gandhi had alleged that the BJP government was dispossessing the poor to benefit industrialists — a claim Sarma called “reckless and provocative.”

The BJP government has intensified eviction drives in forest reserves, which it claims are vital for ecological balance and land restoration. However, opposition parties have called the operations inhuman, accusing the ruling party of targeting minorities and the underprivileged for political ends.

As both sides trade barbs, Assam braces for more political turbulence, with the shadow of upcoming elections growing ever closer.