'Looks like Saddam Hussein': Assam CM Sarma mocks Rahul Gandhi
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has mocked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his bearded Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY) look. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader questioned Gandhi's look as he was addressing a poll rally in Gujarat on Tuesday and asked, "Why do you look more like Saddam Hussein now?" Notably, Gandhi is leading the Congress's BJY, launched on September 7 this year.
Why does this story matter?
BJP leaders have been criticizing the Congress's Bharat Jodo Yatra and Gandhi, who spearheaded the party's largest public outreach in decades from Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari to Kashmir. In an attempt to discredit the Congress, earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a poll rally in Gujarat, also said, "Bharat Jodo Yatra is not a padayatra (foot march) but a yatra for power."
Why does Gandhi look like Saddam Hussein, asks Sarma
Sarma asked why Gandhi now looked more like Iraq's former president and dictator, Hussein, who was hanged to death. He added he had no problem with Gandhi changing his look, but if he wanted to do so, he should have made it similar to that of Vallabhbhai Patel or Jawaharlal Nehru. "Even better if you look like Gandhiji," Sarma said, addressing an Ahmedabad rally.
Who was Saddam Hussein?
Hussein was hanged to death on charges of crimes against humanity on December 30, 2006 by the United States-backed government in Iraq. He served as the country's fifth president from July 16, 1979, to April 9, 2003, when the US invaded Iraq to depose Hussein him as they accused Iraq of possessing mass destruction weapons and having links to terror outfit al Qaeda.
Sarma on Ram Janmabhoomi issue and Congress
Sarma further criticized Congress's role in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi issue. Claiming that before 2014—when the BJP came to power—people used to call it either Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi or Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi, Sarma said PM Narendra Modi obliterated Babur. "Ram is a God and who is Babur? Why were their names taken together? This was the practice during the Congress rule," he added.
Not only Gandhis, Savarkar also contributed to India: Sarma
During the poll rally in Ahmedabad, Sarma also claimed that Gandhi had been continuously attacking Hindutva ideologue Savarkar during the BJY. "Whenever Rahul Gandhi goes nowadays, he insults Savarkar, who was in prison, for 26 years. How dare you!" he asked. The Assam CM also challenged Gandhi by asking, "do you think no leader apart from Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi had any contribution?"
PM Modi also grew beard recently: Congress hits back
Slamming Sarma's remarks on Gandhi's appearance, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said, "Feel like laughing at the BJP. Never thought they would stoop so low, but they are rattled by Bharat Jodo Yatra." "Their leader (PM Modi) had also grown a beard recently, but we did not say anything. We talk about real issues," he further added.
