Overview

• During an election rally in the Bodoland Territorial Region on August 3, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma labeled Rahul Gandhi “anti-national” without providing evidence.
• Sarma alleged that Gandhi sides exclusively with Bangladeshi and Pakistani Muslims, neglecting both Indian Hindus and Muslims.
• The chief minister also accused the Congress party of disrespecting Assamese cultural icons such as the Kamakhya temple and saint-scholar Srimanta Sankardeva.
• Gandhi’s earlier visit to Assam included remarks calling Sarma a “raja” and predicting his arrest on corruption charges.
• The exchange reflects a deepening contest between the BJP and Congress over nationalist and cultural narratives ahead of August’s state elections.