 "'Darte nahi hain': Rahul Gandhi to Assam CM over Guwahati clashes row")
Hours after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma instructed police officials to file a case against Rahul Gandhi for "provoking the crowd" in Guwahati, the Congress leader challenged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) CM saying that he is not afraid of anyone.
"...Assam CM thinks he can threaten anyone…we are not afraid of your CM…they are hopping around, lodging a case because it's them who are afraid of the tide turning against them…," he said, while addressing a public gathering in the evening.
Clashes break out on Guwahati border
The development followed in the wake of clashes that broke out earlier today on the Guwahati border while the Gandhi-led' Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' was attempting to enter Assam.
The Congress workers broke away the barricades installed by the police administration, which were set up to prevent the yatra from entering the city from that particular route. This incident led to clashes as the police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the huge crowd of Congress supporters.
Following the incident, the Assam CM said he had instructed the police to lodge a case against Gandhi for "provoking" the crowd and causing public inconvenience.
Rahul Gandhi calls Himanta most corrupt CM
Later, Gandhi also held a press conference in Assam's Kamrup and labelled Sarma as the "most corrupt" CM in India. "Whenever I move to the state (Assam), people tell me- that massive unemployment, corruption, price rise, farmers are struggling and no youth can get a job in this state…," Rahul said at the press meet.
Seemingly unfazed by the earlier incident, he further added that Sarma's tactics will only benefit the Congress rally by giving it "free publicity."
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"...The publicity that we might have not got, by doing this the Assam CM and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are helping us. Now, the main issue in Assam is the Yatra...It is their intimidation tactics...Our message of Nyay is reaching the people. Even the BJP people who are protesting are waving hands at me," he added.
Congress says no laws broken
On the clashes incident, the Congress party reacted earlier today by saying that they had not broken any law. "Barricades were put up on the route of 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in Assam today. Brave Congress workers removed the barricade. But we follow the law, so the journey was carried out through the route from which we have received permission," the party said in a post on social media platform 'X'.