Ajmal loses cool over long felicitation; throws back ‘gamocha’ at supporter’s face

BARPETA: All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) supremo Badruddin Ajmal today raked up yet another controversy by throwing a gamocha (traditional Assamese scarf) at the face of one of his supporters during an election meeting at Khulabandha Char under Chenga constituency in Barpeta district.

Ajmal apparently lost his cool because of a long felicitation ceremony ahead of his address and snatched the microphone to announce that the felicitations should end. He said only he would speak, and handed the mic to AIUDF candidatE Ashraful Hussain to speak first.

Ajmal initially scolded his supporters for wasting time by felicitating a whole lot of people. “Is it a joke? Nobody will speak now ... Only I’ll speak,” Ajmal was heard saying before handing over the mic to Ahmed in a viral video.

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As he proceeds to his chair, a supporter is seen trying to felicitate him with a gamocha. Ajmal is seen snatching the gamocha from the supporter and throws it back at the face of the supporter.

The gamocha is regarded the traditional symbol of Assamese culture and it is used to felicitate the revered ones as well as the loved ones.

Ajmal was earlier too accused of misusing the gamocha in a viral photograph where he is seen offering namaz on a gamocha spread on the ground. There had been much debate over it as some felt it and insult to Assamese culture, while others believed it was not wrong to use the gamocha in a sacred purpose.

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Some even claimed that the photograph was doctored. Ajmal did not bother to clarify on it.

He was also in the soup recently when some of his followers at his election meeting in Bardowa chanted “Sankardev Saheb Zindabad”. It also triggered debates with a section defending the addressing of Vaishnavite saint-reformer Srimanta Sankardeva as Sankardev Saheb as justified in Urdu or Hindi. Ajmal later on tendered public apology ion behalf his party.

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The BJP has apparently been using Ajmal’s religious faith to brand the Congress-led seven-party alliance as communal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and North East Democratic Alliance convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma are often seen trying to portray Ajmal as an alien creature and label him an enemy of Assam.