Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday criticized Leader of the Opposition (LOP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for not wearing the traditional north-eastern ‘gamchha’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He urged Rahul Gandhi to refrain from seeking votes till he displays real respect.
Speaking to reporters here, Chief Minister Sharma said, “Yesterday, a function was organized at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Arrangements were made to present the Gamcha of the North-East to the guests. When Rahul Gandhi was given the Gamcha, he refused to take it. This is not the first time. Whenever he comes to Assam, he is given a Gamcha and he refuses to take it.”
He further said “The entire Gandhi family never respected the North-East. They never worked for us, rather insulted us. I condemn what happened yesterday. I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that unless you are ready to give respect to the North-East, you should not come here to ask for votes.”
These comments of the Assam Chief Minister come after Rahul Gandhi’s brief appearance at the home reception of the President of India on Republic Day. According to sources, Gandhiji did not join the line of ministers and instead went and sat with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
Sources said that the Congress President left the program early along with Rahul Gandhi. He said this was a violation of established protocol, according to which visitors have to wait for the President to leave the event before leaving. On Monday, several BJP leaders accused Rahul Gandhi of “insulting the culture and people of the North-East by choosing not to wear the patka”.
Sharma strongly condemned Rahul Gandhi’s actions, which he believed “reinforced the perception of neglect towards the North.” According to BJP leaders, everyone including President Murmu, Prime Minister Modi and foreign dignitaries wore patkas at the home welcome ceremony.
“Times may change, but the attitude of Rahul Gandhi, the de facto supreme leader of the Congress Party, appears to be regrettably unchanged. In an act of gross insensitivity and disrespect towards the people of the North-East, Gandhi did not wear the traditional patka, a symbol of the rich cultural heritage of the region, at the reception hosted by the Honorable President of India this evening,” the Assam Chief Minister said in a post on Twitter.
“From the President and the Prime Minister to foreign dignitaries, everyone wore the patka with respect and pride. Only Gandhiji stood out, further strengthening the perception of neglect towards the North East.”
He further said that such conduct explains why his party has lost the confidence of the region and most of the country. Yet, this repeated insensitivity continues,”.
However, the Congress hit back by sharing a picture of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh without a patka. “2016 batch traitors should stop this nonsense. Why is Rajnath Singh ji not wearing the north-eastern patka? Stop dragging the Honorable President into your dirty politics,” posted Congress MP Manickam Tagore.
