Priyanka Gandhi Vadra compared Assam's BJP leadership with ''Dhritarashtra'' and ''Shakuni''
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday compared Assam's BJP leadership with 'Dhritarashtra' and 'Shakuni Mama', drawing reference from the epic Mahabharata. She said the politics in Assam is divided among two factions who have betrayed the people of the state.
"Assam's truth is that it is plagued by several syndicates which are impacting its governance. And the politics here is divided among two characters like that of Mahabharata -- Dhritarashtra and Shakuni Mama," Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said during a public meeting at Sarupathar in Golaghat district of upper Assam on Monday afternoon.
Dhritarashtra was shown to be a blind ruler while Shakuni a political manipulator in the epic.
In a veiled dig at Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Congress leader accused the "Dhritarashtra" of betraying the people of Assam and "Shakuni Mama" of running all the "corruptions and syndicates".
"The Dhritarashtra is the one whom the people of Assam conferred with the title of 'Jatiya Nayak', still he didn't even hold to his promises of providing Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the six protesting communities. It is under his leadership that the Sub Inspector job scam happened, And his greatest betrayal to the people of Assam is that, when the Citizenship Amendment Act was proposed, he had said it will not be implemented in Assam," she said.
Ms Sonowal, who also holds the Home portfolio, had earned the title 'Jatiya Nayak' for his role in repelling the Illegal Migrants (Detection by Tribunal) Act, unique to Assam, by the Supreme Court in 2005, paving the way for identifying and deletion of foreigners under Foreigners Act, 1946.
"The other one, Shakuni Mama, is the one who is running all the corruption and syndicates. The BJP that had come to power had themselves chargesheeted him and now that he has joined the party, he is now being given such prominent roles in the elections. It seems BJP in Assam isn't operating like a party, but, like a Mafia," the Congress leader said.
Mr Sarma, who is popularly called "Mama" (Uncle) by his fans, who was questioned in the Saradha Ponzi Scam after his name cropped up. Mr Sarma, then a Congress leader, joined the BJP in 2015, ahead of 2016 Assam Assembly elections.
"The BJP haven't even named their Chief Minister candidate this due to the infighting within the party. If the party in power is stuck with mafias, how can it lead the state towards development?" she said.
The attacks made by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was in Sarupathar to campaign for Roselina Tirkey - the sitting MLA and candidate this year - bear significance as both Mr Sonowal and Mr Sarma's names are being speculated for the Chief Minister's position as the party hasn't announced any candidate for the top job in the state yet.