Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday was served a notice by the Election Commission for a speech he had made in the poll-bound Chhattisgarh earlier this month.
In Kawardha, the Assam Chief Minister had attacked Mohammad Akbar, Chhattisgarh’s only Muslim Minister, and said the land of Mata Kaushalya would get impure if Mr. Akbar was not sent off.
Calling the speech divisive and communal, the Congress had filed a complaint with the EC against Mr. Sarma. During his Chhattisgarh visit on Thursday, Mr. Sarma had said that he had raised the right issue through his speech and if the EC sent him a notice, he would respond to it.
He alleged on Thursday that Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had opened a “big market of religious conversion” in the State to weaken Sanatana Dharma.
“...We have to think about the situation to which the Bhupesh Baghel government has pushed Chhattisgarh. Religious conversions are taking place. A conspiracy is being played to convert tribals in every part of the State. Sanatana [Dharma] is being attacked,” he said in Mahasamund district where he was addressing a public meeting in support of his party candidates.
“We should think about what the Congress has given in five years. Has he [Mr. Baghel] opened any university in five years? In Assam, medical colleges have been set up in each district. There has been no basic transformation in the State [Chhattisgarh]. Baghel does drama every time,” he added.
Mentioning the recent announcement of the inauguration date of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Mr. Sarma targeted the Congress for failing to construct it in the past 70 years as it had no sense of devotion for Lord Ram and “its leaders always worshipped Babar”.
“I have never seen any Congress leader visiting the Ram temple in the last 3-4 years. Rahul Gandhi goes to temples during elections, but he doesn’t go to the Ram mandir [in Ayodhya] as he is scared that people of Babar will get annoyed and abuse him,” the Assam Chief Minister added.
He attacked Mr. Baghel over his latest promise on farm loan waiver, asking why were the farmers forced to take loans in the first place. He urged people to elect the BJP in Chhattisgarh so that a double-engine government could work for its development.
Mr. Sarma’s rally was held ahead of the filing of nominations of BJP candidates from four constituencies — Mahasamund, Khallari, Basna and Saraipali in Mahasamund district.
