"Assam Government, Chief Minister Most Corrupt" In India: Rahul Gandhi

On the first day of the Assam leg of 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' on Thursday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that the state perhaps has the "most corrupt government" and the "most corrupt Chief Minister" in the country.

Addressing a public gathering at Haloating in Sivasagar district, where the march entered Assam from Nagaland, Mr Gandhi slammed the ruling BJP and its ideologue Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for allegedly spreading hatred and looting public money.

"Perhaps, the most corrupt government in India is in Assam. You know what is happening here. We will raise the issues of Assam during the Yatra," he said.

In the afternoon, Mr Gandhi addressed a street meeting at Deberapar in Nakachari of Jorhat district and alleged that a lot of injustices are being done against tribals, tea workers and other indigenous communities of Assam by the BJP-led government.

"Corruption is rampant in Assam. We all know that perhaps the most corrupt Chief Minister in India is the Assam chief minister," he added.

In his third public address at Jorhat town in the evening, Mr Gandhi said Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's entire family is involved in corruption.

"His children, himself and wife -- all are involved in some corruption. He thinks that money can buy the people of Assam. But Assamese people cannot be bought," he added.

Mr Sarma later launched a counterattack, terming the Gandhi family "the most corrupt" one in the country.

"According to me, the Gandhi family is the most corrupt family in the country," Mr Sarma told reporters here after a function of BJP workers at its state headquarters.

"They are not only corrupt, but also duplicate. Their family name is not even Gandhi, (but) they are carrying their duplicate names," he added.

Talking about Manipur, from where the march began, Mr Gandhi said a civil war-like situation prevails in that state with ethnic violence going on since May 3 last year.

"Manipur is divided and the prime minister has not even once visited the state. Violence has been continuing for months now. People are dying and houses are being burnt, and peace has not returned yet," he added.

Pointing to Assam's past riddled with insurgency-led violence, Mr Gandhi asserted that Congress stood for the people and ended the bloodshed in the state.

In Nagaland, a Framework Agreement (to bring about a solution to the Naga political issue) was signed nine years ago and people are now asking what happened to it as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not spoken about it at all, the Congress MP said.

Countering the BJP's statement that such marches will not benefit the Congress, Mr Gandhi said last year's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' has changed the "political narrative" of the country and left a huge impact.

"The BJP and the RSS are spreading hatred and making one community fight against the other. Their only job is to loot public money and exploit the country," he said.

The Congress leader also alleged that all the BJP-ruled states are "facing economic, social and political injustices" with the poor and marginalised sections bearing the brunt, and all these issues would be raised during the yatra.

This yatra from Manipur to Mumbai not only aims at uniting every religion, caste and language in India but also to give justice, he said.

Referring to medieval Vaishnavite saint Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva, an Assamese icon, he said the ongoing "justice march" is a yatra of the ideology of Sankardeva.

"He showed you (people) the way, tried to unite everyone and fought a battle against injustice. We are just replicating Assam's history," Mr Gandhi said.

Addressing people of Jorhat town from the top of a bus, he said the biggest injustice against the youths is unemployment.

"India cannot progress with unemployment. Our promise is that we will fill all government vacancies. We will also revive the small and medium industries as this sector generates the highest number of jobs," he added.

Mr Gandhi alleged that the Prime Minister is working for only 2-3 industrialists and handing over all important assets like airports, ports, agriculture and infrastructure to Gautam Adani.

The Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', led by Mr Gandhi, on Thursday entered Assam from Nagaland through Haloating in Sivasagar district.

Mr Gandhi was received by hundreds of party workers at Haloating, where the National Flag was handed over to Assam Congress leaders for the eight-day journey in the state.

After the brief function, the march resumed and proceeded towards Jorhat district through Amguri town in Sivasagar while passing through picturesque tea gardens on both sides of the road.

Scores of people lined up on both sides of the road and greeted Mr Gandhi, who was seen waving his hands from inside the bus with senior party leaders on board.

Addressing a press conference later in Puthinadi, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, who is accompanying Mr Gandhi in the yatra, alleged that the ruling BJP government is trying to make the Yatra a flop show in Assam.

In the morning, former Assam Pradesh Youth Congress President Angkita Dutta, who was expelled for anti-party activities last year, demonstrated demanding justice and sought to meet Mr Gandhi.

The Congress, however, termed her a political stooge of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who, the party claimed, acted like 'Narad Muni' in her case.

Ms Dutta in April last year had filed an FIR against Youth Congress president Srinivas B V alleging that he was "persistently harassing and torturing" her for six months by making sexist comments, using swear words and also threatening her with dire consequences if she complained to the senior leaders.

The Congress leader passed through several places and halted at a few en route. Near Deberpar Chariali, Mr Gandhi disembarked from the bus seeing a huge crowd, mostly tea garden workers, waiting for him. where he was garlanded with scores of Assamese scarf 'Gamocha' as a symbol of honour.

In Jorhat town, Mr Gandhi undertook a 'padyatra' before addressing a huge crowd at Nehru Park Chariali.

He will move towards Majuli, the world's largest river island, on Friday. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)