Himanta Sarma vs Opposition Over Rahul Gandhi's Red Constitution Copy

Is this the code red moment in the national polls? Himanta Sarma appears to suggest so.

The Assam Chief Minister, a former Congress leader, has alleged that Rahul Gandhi, his former party boss, has been displaying the Chinese constitution at his poll rallies. Mr Sarma arrived at the conclusion based on the colour of the book - a deep red.

"The original copy of the Constitution of India has a blue cover. The original Chinese constitution has a red cover. Does Rahul carry a Chinese Constitution? We will need to verify," Mr Sarma, 55, posted on X on Friday along with a picture of the Constitution, in what he calls the original blue cover, and a Rahul Gandhi picture with the red one.

Reacting to the Chief Minister's post, several social media users said that the red-bound Constitution is a coat pocket edition, which has been presented to top Indian leaders, including the President, Prime Minister and the Union Home minister.

On Saturday, despite being called out on social media for the misleading post, the Chief Minister doubled down on his assertion.

"Rahul is displaying a red Chinese constitution to the people attending his meetings. Our constitution, in blue, includes a chapter called the Directive Principles of State Policy, which makes it a sacred duty to enact a Uniform Civil Code in our country; Rahul is now opposing this. That's why I am sure that the constitution in his hand must be a Chinese one," he said in a post today.

An MLA belonging to the Badruddin Ajmal-led All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) party pointed to the "red gamcha" worn by the Chief Minister.

"There is no fixed colour of Indian constitution. The Chief Minister also wears a red gamcha, is it also from China? This is not a right post," Hafiz Rafiqul Islam, MLA, AIUDF, told NDTV.

"Constitution has many colours but contents inside are same...We don't read the colour but what is inside. Colour do not endorse any purpose," said Congress MLA Abdul Rashid Mondal.

The latest controversy comes amid a raging debate around the constitution.

The Congress has been alleging that the BJP, which has set a mammoth "400 paar" target, plans to redo the constitution. The BJP however has maintained that no government can change the constitution.