In a sharp rebuke, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma criticized the Congress for their resolution on the Israel-Palestine conflict, drawing a controversial parallel with Pakistan's stance.
Sarma didn't mince his words when he addressed reporters in Jorhat, questioning the Congress's stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict. "The Congress should have condemned the terrorist attacks by Hamas and then could have spoken about Palestine. But in their resolution, they only talked about Palestine, just like Pakistan," Sarma stated, taking a direct swipe at the opposition party.
Sarma didn't stop there; he also posed a thought-provoking question to the Congress. "Does the Congress, with such statements, want to form a government in India or Pakistan?" he questioned, challenging the party's stance on the international conflict.
This comes in the wake of a resolution by the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest-decision-making body within the party, expressing "dismay and anguish" over the Israel-Palestine war. The resolution emphasized the Congress's support for the Palestinian people's right to "land (and) self-government, and to live with dignity and respect."
Assam Congress Chief Bhupen Borah immediately fired back at Sarma, calling him a "liar." Borah contested Sarma's claims, saying, "The Israeli government has not yet confirmed whether Hamas has killed children or not. The first statement of a message released by Jairam Ramesh is- 'The Indian National Congress condemns the brutal attacks on the people of Israel.'"
Borah went on to accuse Sarma of following in the footsteps of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, "As usual, just like his boss (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi, the Chief Minister is lying. Lying has become the second nature of Himanta Biswa Sarma," Borah added.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine has left hundreds dead, with a multi-pronged series of attacks by Hamas from Gaza and retaliatory strikes by Israel. On the sixth day of the conflict, the Israeli military reported more than 1,300 casualties, including 222 soldiers, while authorities in Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip claim that over 1,400 people have been killed in Israel's offensive against the Palestinian group.