Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday alleged the Congress wants to win the Chhattisgarh Assembly polls with the support of maoists.
Addressing a rally in Manpur in Chhattisgarh, where Assembly polls will be held on November 7 and 17, Himanta Sarma said left wing extremism will be eradicated within a year in case the Bharatiya Janata Party comes to power in the state.
He also claimed religious conversions were taking place openly under the Congress government of Bhupesh Baghel, and questioned if the chief minister wanted to eliminate Sanatana Dharma.
"I think this time the Congress does not want to win polls with the support of people. It wants to win with the support of Naxalites in interior areas. There is 'I love you' between the Congress and Naxalites. By threatening and murdering BJP workers, they want to do their politics," the Assam Chief Minister alleged.
"We have to free Chhattisgarh of Naxalism and make it an island of peace. Our (Union) Home Minister Amit Shah scrapped Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and turned it into an island of peace. You give us one year time in power in Chhattisgarh and we will eliminate Naxalism like the way of Article 370 was scrapped," he said.
Religious conversions were taking place openly and tribals were being compelled to get converted, he alleged.
"I want to ask Bhupesh Baghel if he seeks to end Sanatana Dharma. You should have brought a law to stop conversions but you did not and, thus, weakened Hindu dharma," he said, adding that everyone was happy that the Ram Temple will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January.
Had the Congress been there (in power at the Centre), Ram Temple would never have been built and Babri Masjid would not have remained there, Himanta Sarma said and claimed the grand old party indulged in religious conversion in Chhattisgarh and appeasement elsewhere.
Asking people to unseat the Baghel government to "protect our culture", Himanta Sarma said "we will together have to free Chhattisgarh from Naxalism, unemployment and poverty".
Talking to reporters later, Himanta Sarma slammed Bhupesh Baghel for demanding checking of security forces' vehicles and luggage in connection with the Assembly polls.
Himanta Sarma said Bhupesh Baghel should also allow searches at his house.
Earlier in the day, Bhupsh Baghel urged the Election Commission of India to check the vehicles and luggage of paramilitary forces being deployed in the state for election duty, alleging the BJP was bringing in cash through them to influence voters.
"Bhupesh Baghel ji has full right to carry out checking but he should also allow us to search his house. When you want to check boxes of the country's army, CRPF and BSF personnel who sacrifice their lives on the border and while fighting Naxals then I should be allowed to check boxes at Rahul Gandhi's house." Himanta Sarma said in Mohla Manpur.
It is among the 20 seats where polls will be held in the first phase on November 7. The second phase of polls will be held on November 17, while votes will be counted on December 3.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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