Guwahati, May 1: Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah fired a volley of sharp jabs at Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during a fiery rally in Binakandi, Hojai district, countering the CM’s recent personal remark with one of his own.
Responding to Sarma’s statement that he had “grown up on his mother’s breast milk,” Borah retorted, “I didn’t grow up drinking Amul Taza either. But I’m also not scared of his threats.”
Borah didn’t stop there. He accused Sarma of switching parties when cornered by allegations in the Louis Berger and Saradha scams. “When the BJP raised those issues, you jumped ship. We’ve fought the British—why would we fear the BJP?” he said.
The Congress leader criticized BJP MLAs for being “missing in action,” alleging they’re often out of the country. “An MLA should stay in their constituency, not vacation abroad. The people of Binakandi deserve a representative who’s on the ground, not on a plane.”
Turning to governance, Borah accused the BJP of deliberately delaying panchayat elections to avoid accountability over ₹1,100 crore in unspent funds meant for local bodies. “We had to pressure the government into holding these elections. That money cannot be touched by any minister or MLA unless panchayat representatives are elected,” he said, warning that funds for the next fiscal year would also be blocked.
He then aimed BJP’s silence on rising inflation: “BJP once garlanded potatoes and onions on the streets during price hikes under Congress. Now, prices are soaring and the CM says nothing. Why? Because his earnings are doing just fine.”
Borah alleged that Sarma, along with other BJP and AIUDF leaders, has enriched himself while ignoring public hardship. “He can buy land, resorts, schools, tea gardens. Ajmal too is profiting, thanks to his BJP connection. No wonder none of them talk about price hikes,” he said.
He also slammed AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal, recalling that during the controversial Gorukhuti eviction, Ajmal called Sarma “the best CM in the country.” “It’s clear who he’s really working for,” Borah added.
