CM vs CM: Bhupesh Baghel slams Assam CM on ‘Pak’ remark

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday lambasted his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma for his remarks on the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra and said the BJP leader has been “spewing venom” after visiting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) office. Speaking to reporters here, Baghel said, “He is spewing venom. He must have visited the RSS office and seen Akhand Bharat’s map.

The BJP says Muslims should be sent to Pakistan as well as the country to be merged for ‘Akhand Bharat’. What does it mean to send them and merge them later?” This comes after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took a jibe at Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra, which was kickstarted on Wednesday, and said that the party should conduct this campaign in Pakistan if “they want to start the campaign,” while stressing that “India is connected and united.”

Sarma said that India was divided in 1947 and there was no benefit to starting the Bharat Jodo Yatra in India. “India was divided in 1947 during Congress. If they want to start the Bharat Jodo Yatra, then Rahul Gandhi should do this in Pakistan. What are the benefits of doing this yatra in India? India is connected and united. I want to suggest Rahul Gandhi take the Bharat Jodo Yatra programme to Pakistan,” the Assam CM told the reports on Tuesday. Further on Bharat Jodo Yatra, Baghel said, “There will be a discussion on inflation, unemployment, and issues related to people’s suffering. Efforts will be made to stop the spread of hatred.”

In what is being seen as a Congress “masterstroke” to take on the Narendra Modi government in the upcoming 2024 elections, the party is launching the “Bharat Jodo Yatra” on Wednesday, in which Rahul Gandhi will start the 3,570 km journey lasting about 150 days from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. As the party begins the nationwide yatra, some pertinent questions arise about the lodging and flooding of Rahul Gandhi.