Himanta-Rahul spat over Assamese gamocha

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on January 24 expressed his displeasure over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's comments regarding the traditional Assamese Gamocha. Sarma took a dig at Gandhi stating that the Gamocha holds profound cultural significance beyond being a mere cloth for wiping the body.

In a speech, Rahul Gandhi asserted that Gamocha means to clean the body, breaking down the term into "Ga" meaning body and "mocha" meaning to clean. Responding to this, Sarma fired back, questioning Gandhi's interpretation. "Rahul Gandhi said 'Ga' means body, 'mosa' means to clean. 

Chief Minister Sarma on microblogging site X posted, "Rahul Baba, Assam's Gamocha is not just for wiping the body. It is a symbol of Assam's self-respect. There are many types of Gamocha. In Bihu, the biggest festival of Assam, Gamocha is used as Bihuwan, to honor the guest. 

Sarma went on to question Gandhi, saying, "Who teaches you this nonsense? Or do you say anything on purpose?"

Earlier in his post, Himanta Biswa Sarma raised eyebrows as he took a sharp jibe at Rahul Gandhi, challenging his recent remarks about "coal on the stove." In a witty post shared on the microblogging site X, Sarma quipped, "Coal on the stove??? We were emerging from the matter of making gold from your potatoes that you put coal in the stove and put us in a dilemma. Are you conscious?"