Rahul Gandhi calls Himanta Biswa Sarma "most corrupt CM"; says Nyay Yatra aims at "undoing injustice"

Lakhimpur (Assam) [India], January 19 : As the sixth day of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra concluded, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at the BJP and said that there is an ideological battle going on in the country, adding that his party's yatra aims at "undoing the injustice being done by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bharatiya Janata Party in the country and providing justice to the people.
"The 4,000 km Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir had greatly succeeded in uniting people from different states and sections of the society. Similarly, the Nyay Yatra will lead to justice against the injustice of the RSS and the BJP," Rahul Gandhi said.
Terming Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma "the most corrupt Chief Minister of the country", Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the Assam CM can give guidance to other Chief Ministers of the BJP on how to carry out corruption in their respective states.
Rahul Gandhi also stated that Chief Minister Sarma follows direct orders from the Centre and Assam is being directly run by the BJP-led Centre.
Addressing the public in Lakhimpur, Rahul Gandhi said, "We say that Assam will not be run from Delhi, it will be run from here. Your (Assam) CM is the most corrupt CM in the country. He can teach other BJP Chief Ministers to commit corruption. Don't think he works for Assam. Whatever Modi says, he follows it by giving him a salute."
He further targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting Manipur to take stock of the current situation.
"Let me tell you the reason why we started our Nyay Yatra from Manipur. For the first time in Indian history, there is a civil war going on in Manipur. For months, violence and hatred have been spreading in Manipur, and people are being killed. Properties are being damaged but the Prime Minister has not visited them to date. Manipur has been divided due to his policies," the Congress leader said.
Earlier today, Gandhi paid obeisance and offered prayers at the holy place of Sri Sri Auniati Satra. He took a ferry over the river Brahmaputra to reach the temple. He said it was a great experience and feeling to be there.
Rahul Gandhi also met a group of environmental activists, intellectuals and affected people from the northern bank of Brahmaputra.
Congress leader discussed ecological destruction caused by the construction of multiple dams, which the BJP government has cleared without proper environmental assessment, the party said in a statement.
In reaction to the Jorhat Police registering a case against some individuals associated with the Congress's ongoing Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra for alleged deviation from its original route, Congress general secretary, Communications, Jairam Ramesh, on Friday said that no rules were broken.
Ramesh claimed that the state government led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was making deliberate attempts to stop people from joining the Yatra.
"No rules have been broken. The Assam CM is making all sorts of attempts to stop people from joining the Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra. No one can stop this yatra. We will be in Assam for the next seven days. Let them arrest us; we accept the challenge," the senior Congress leader told ANI on Friday.
Meanwhile, senior Congress MP KC Venugopal said the police can register FIR against anybody but the Yatra will continue till its journey's end--Maharashtra.
"They (police) can register FIR against anybody. But this Yatra will go to Mumbai. We will fulfil our slogans. We will continue this Yatra with great emotion and strength," Venugopal told ANI on Friday.
Venugopal added that Sarma is scared as the Yatra is going to expose him as the 'most corrupt' chief minister."
"I think he might be angry with the Yatra as it will expose him as the most corrupt CM of Assam. This Yatra is going to narrate the story of how he is looting the state of Assam. He is scared of this. The public reception to the yatra is also making him scared," the Congress MP claimed.
Reacting to Sarma's 'Miyan Yatra' barb at the Congress, Venugopal said, "The chief minister insulted the people of Assam."
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said that the success of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Nagaland and Manipur has unsettled the BJP and the FIR filed by the Jorhat police against some individuals who took part in Yatra organisers exposes "fear of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma".
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that Rahul Gandhi's commitment towards the nation will remain unshaken.
"Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra's overwhelming reception in Nagaland and Manipur has unsettled the BJP government. Anticipating similar support in Assam, the Assam government has reacted in an undemocratic way. CM Himanta, fearing exposure of his administration's shortcomings, imposed restrictions and filed an FIR against Rahul Gandhi's march for justice," Chief Minister posted on X.
"This act of fear validates Rahul Gandhi's claim about Assam's leadership being corrupt. Yet, Rahul Gandhi's commitment remains unshaken; he vows to persevere until justice prevails," he added.