Assam: Rupjyoti Kurmi joins BJP; gifts 'trishul' to CM Himanta
- Jun 21, 2021,
- Updated Jun 21, 2021, 12:21 AM IST
GUWAHATI: Former Congress MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi today formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Somewhat surprisingly, he gifted a trident to Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during the ceremony. The trident is a weapon yielded by Lord Shiva, one of the most important Gods in the Hindu pantheon.
Kurmi's gesture might be seen as an effort to appease the BJP -- which has the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh as it's mentor. Indeed, the former MLA's rhetoric has seen a sea change ever since he quit the grand old party.
ALSO READ: Assam CM weighs in on detection of black fungus in Dibrugarh;…
In recent interviews, he has adopted the BJP talking points of 'Bangladeshi eviction' and another National Register of Citizens (NRC) drive while downplaying the threat posed by the foreigner-friendly Citizenship Amendment Act.
The MLA's defection also seems to have hurt the Congress a lot, with its leaders continuing to praise him despite the U-turn.
Meanwhile, the BJP, which has attracted a lot of Congressmen and women ever since Himanta Biswa Sarma joined with his protege Pijush Hazarika, seems to be getting bolder. This even led to Himanta Biswa Sarma saying that all opposition leaders should join the saffron camp.