Sarma claims Rahul Gandhi uses ‘body-double’ in Yatra

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday continued to target the Congress party calling it “soft naxal”, which has moved away from the Gandhian philosophy. “I was with the Congress for 22 years. Slogans have changed. Congress slogans used to be different, soft. Now they have become Left-leaning,” Sarma said as Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ entered West Bengal after touring Assam on Thursday.

Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Nyay Yatra’ in Assam had been eventful with the Batadrava Than row and Guwahati incident which triggered a war of words between the two parties and ultimately led to an FIR registered against the Congress leader for allegedly “for instigating violence and disobedience”.

Rahul Gandhi was stopped at Haibargaon en route to the Batadrava Than (Sankardeva’s birthplace) in Assam on the day of ‘pran pratishtha’ of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on January 22, after which, he along with senior party leaders and supporters had staged a dharna.

The managing committee of the Sri Sankardeva Sattra, had, on Sunday, announced that they will not allow the Congress leader to visit the sattra before 3:00 pm on January 22 given thousands of people would be visiting the place on the day of ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony in Ayodhya.

On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ started from Jorabat in the foothill of Meghalaya at 10:00 am and reached Guwahati’s Khanapara area at 11 am, where Assam Police prohibited the rally from entering the city.

A scuffle ensued between police personnel and Congress supporters as they tried to remove the barricades, leading to injuries suffered by state Congress president Bhupen Borah and leader of the opposition in the state assembly Debabrata Saikia, several policemen and other Congress supporters.

Reacting to the incident, Assam CM instructed the DGP to file a case against Rahul Gandhi for provoking the crowd.

Hinting that Rahul Gandhi used his look-alikes in the ‘Yatra’, Sarma said, “I have not seen but I have seen reports. Congresspeople told me that Rahul Gandhi generally sits inside the bus. Then who is sitting in the front who looks like Rahul Gandhi from far away? This is another issue.”

“Rahul Gandhi came to Guwahati but did not go to visit Maa Kamakhya. You did not even stop at Dr Bhupen Hazarika Samadhi Khetra…BJP will win all constituencies where Rahul Gandhi travelled. Then what was the purpose of your yatra? Only to create communal tension? I suggested places where Rahul Gandhi could go. His team came to Kamakhya to do a recce but he did not come for a final visit,” he added.