Assam CM scoffs at Gaurav Gogoi’s ‘Hindu Jinnah’ jibe, mocks Pakistan reference
Declining to dwell further on the comparison, Sarma said humorously, ‘I can’t comment on this as I have never been to Pakistan'
CM Sarma during a welfare scheme distribution event in Demow, on Wednesday. (Photo:@CMOfficeAssam/X)
Guwahati, Jan 28: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Wednesday, hit back at Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi for calling him a “Hindu Jinnah”, responding with sarcasm and questioning the reference to Pakistan.
Speaking to the press on the sidelines of the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan (MMUA) programme in Demow, Sarma dismissed the remark lightly.
“Jinnah is a Pakistani word. Why did he bring up a Pakistani thing? He could have given some other example. Only Gaurav Gogoi can like examples from Pakistan,” the Chief Minister said, laughing.
Sarma was reacting to comments made by Gogoi a day earlier at a Mandal Convention in Abhayapuri in Bongaigaon district, where the Congress leader described the Chief Minister as a “Hindu Jinnah” and alleged that his ideology resembled that of Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Addressing the gathering on Tuesday, Gogoi had said that Indian Muslims did not migrate to Pakistan as they respected the Constitution, Mahatma Gandhi and Dr B.R. Ambedkar, and believed in peace and harmony.
He also claimed that Sarma had failed to establish himself as a Hindu leader.
Declining to dwell further on the comparison, Sarma said humorously, “I can’t comment on this as I have never been to Pakistan.”
During the same interaction, the Chief Minister raised concerns over what he described as an increase in illegal settlers in parts of Upper Assam.
He said residents in Duliajan have flagged a rise in the number of illegal immigrants, with similar reports emerging from Margherita.
“I was in Duliajan yesterday, and people told me that Bangladeshi miyas have increased there. Earlier, Upper Assam was safe for the past five years, but now we are slowly witnessing a lack of safety,” Sarma said.
He further alleged that unknown individuals were purchasing land in Tinsukia district.
“There was a time when Tinsukia was known for its Hindi-speaking and Bengali population. Now, Bangladeshi miyas are slowly coming in. Hindus are selling their land, and no district in the state is safe anymore,” the Chief Minister claimed.
The exchange marks the latest escalation in the war of words between the ruling BJP and the Congress in Assam, as political rhetoric sharpens ahead of the coming electoral battles in the state.