Guhwati: Leader of Oppositon, Rahul Gandhi, during a visit to Assam on July 16, accused the mainstream media of ignoring real issues and focusing only on select industrialists and BJP leaders. “The media is not our friend anymore; they are not revealing the truth, only showing Adani, Ambani, CM, Modi and Shah,” Gandhi told Congress workers at a public meeting in Chaygaon.
Speaking as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi also launched a direct attack on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, saying the CM behaves like a ‘raja’ and would eventually face jail time over alleged corruption. “Your Chief Minister is scared. He knows that fearless Congress workers will hold him accountable,” Gandhi said, adding that Sarma and his family would be brought to justice.
He also criticised the Election Commission, claiming it is working closely with the BJP. Referring to the recent Maharashtra elections, Gandhi alleged that the BJP had manipulated the voter list to win, and warned that similar tactics might be used in Bihar and Assam.
Pointing to broader national issues, he said the country is being divided into two—one belonging to a few billionaires who can afford grand celebrations, and the other, to common people struggling with inflation and rising taxes.
Framing the political battle as one of ideologies, Gandhi said, “This is a fight between the hatred and violence of the RSS and the truth and non-violence of the Congress.”
In response, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to hit back. Sarma accused Gandhi of overlooking his own legal challenges. “He came all the way to Assam just to say this, conveniently forgetting that he himself is out on bail in multiple criminal cases,” Sarma wrote. He ended his post with a sarcastic remark: “My best wishes to you, Rahul ji. Enjoy the hospitality of Assam for the rest of the day.”
The exchange marks a continuation of the sharp political rivalry between the BJP and Congress as Assam heads towards assembly elections next year.
