Assam Lok Sabha elections 2024: Himanta Biswa Sarma mocks Rahul Gandhi's visit, says more leaders to join BJP

Assam Chief Minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma, during an event in Silchar, expressed his wish for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to campaign in Assam. 

He believes that Gandhi's campaign will be beneficial for the BJP as he anticipates hundreds of Congress members to leave their party.

Assam CM addressing the gathering said, "I Have not said anything about Congress because Congress has become an old note, they have no business. And can there be any comparison between Modi and Rahul Gandhi?. And once Rahul Gandhi comes to Assam, it would have been better because those who are in Congress now would have also joined our party. Once Rahul Gandhi came to Assam, Kamalakhya, and Kamini all came and joined the BJP. And if he comes again for once, then our efforts will be minimised. If you go to Guwahati, you will be surprised to know that Rajiv Bhawan is completely empty...you will feel as if the curfew is going on... self-imposed curfew. There's no human."

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Meanwhile, Bhupen Borah, the president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), has stirred controversy by openly announcing a reward of Rs 1 lakh for any journalist who dares to ask challenging questions to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Borah made the announcement during a media address on April 3, where he accused the media of shying away from pressing issues.

Addressing the gathered press, Borah challenged the media's silence on critical matters, stating, "You cannot ask the chief minister about the electoral bond scam, Coal, and supari syndicates. Do you have the guts to ask the Chief Minister about this? No, you can't." He further criticized media outlets for allegedly taking cues from Chief Minister Sarma, accusing them of neglecting their journalistic duty.

Borah went on to lay out specific questions he urged journalists to pose to Chief Minister Sarma. He emphasized three key queries: the failure to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six scheduled tribes within the promised 100 days, the non-implementation of Clause 5 and Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, and the status of the Chief Minister's promise to address unemployment by providing Rs 5 lakh annually to 24 lakh unemployed youths.