The Chief Minister had quit the Congress and joined the BJP in 2015. (FILE)
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, hitting out at Rahul Gandhi for raising questions on the 2016 surgical strikes, made a series of controversial comments on the Congress leader at an election rally in Uttarakhand today.
"Rahul Gandhi wanted proof of the Bipin Rawat-led surgical strike. Did we ever ask proof of which father's son you are? Who gave you the right to ask for proof from the army? If our soldiers have said they carried out the attack inside Pakistan, that's final," Himanta Sarma said.
"If our soldiers have said they carried out the attack inside Pakistan, that's final. Don't you believe Bipin Rawat or soldiers? Have we ever asked if you are really Rajiv Gandhi's son or not? So don't disgrace the soldiers," Mr Sarma said.
In 2016, the army carried out a surgical strike across the Line of Control to retaliate against a terror attack in Uri in which 19 soldiers were killed. Several opposition leaders had questioned the operation.
The Chief Minister, who quit the Congress and joined the BJP in 2015, also weighed in on the hijab row in Karnataka, another BJP-ruled state.
"Colleges and school are for studies and not for fashion shows. We don't have a problem on what anyone wants to wear. But in schools and colleges they want to wear hijab...tomorrow Hindus will say we want to wear a special dress, Christians will say we want to wear a specific dress," Mr Sarma said.
Students in many colleges in Karnataka have been protesting against restrictions on wearing the hijab in class. Rival saffron scarf protest at some colleges triggered violence that forced the police to fire teargas on campus.
"Muslim girls have aspirations to become doctors, engineers...Where are you trapping them with your hijab agenda?" Mr Sarma said.
"You can wear hijab in any other place but in schools and colleges only uniforms should be allowed. Uniforms bring equality, love and respect among students. The Congress is saying Muslim girls should not become doctors, engineers but remain busy with the hijab agenda," he added.