The Congress on Friday made light of former party man Himanta Biswa Sarma's remarks on "dynastic politics" and instead took digs at him and the BJP.
"Nobody takes him seriously. The party didn't take his remark seriously. The party is not even interested in replying. Whoever leaves the party will ultimately blame it," senior Congress leader P.C. Chacko told IANS.
"There is absolutely no substance in what he said. Sarma became everything when he was in the Congress. He became an MLA from the Congress, became a minister, a senior leader, a senior minister -- everything," he added.
Sarma on Friday said dynastic politics of the Congress led to its defeat in the north-eastern state. He said both the Congress and Rahul Gandhi needed to do some introspection and change their style of functioning.
Sarma, a minister in the Tarun Gogoi-led government in Assam, left the Congress following conflict with the chief minister and joined the BJP in 2015.
Chacko also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party for a 'turnaround' on Sarma.
"The BJP had earlier said that Sarma had amassed huge wealth disproportionate to known sources of his income, that he is the most corrupt minister in the Gogoi government. There were agitations, statements and charges by the BJP.
Chacko said: "Now, he has become a saint for the BJP. He was summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which questioned him; in the Louis Berger case Sarma was an accused. The day he defected to the BJP, all inquiries stopped."
"All of a sudden, he has become acceptable to the BJP, which has become his biggest supporter now," the Congress leader added.
Taking a dig at Sarma, Chacko said he wanted to become the chief minister and get Tarun Gogoi (outgoing Assam chief minister) sacked.
"It is not that he was not given time or he was not listened to but what he wanted was not conceded," said Chacko.
--IANS
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