Guwahati, July 17: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has blamed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for making a “reckless speech” and “inciting violence” during an eviction drive in a reserve forest in Goalpara district on Thursday.
“Rahul Gandhi came to Assam and openly encouraged encroachers to occupy forest land. Emboldened by his reckless words, today a violent mob attacked our police and forest personnel while attempting to forcefully encroach upon the Paikan Reserve Forest,” Sarma stated on his social media handle, X.
“In the line of duty, 21 brave police officers and forest guards suffered grievous injuries. Left with no choice, the police had to open fire to restore order — leading to the unfortunate death of one encroacher,” the chief minister stated.
“This is the disastrous legacy of Rahul Gandhi’s one-day visit to Assam. His irresponsible rhetoric has directly endangered lives and disrupted peace in our state. The people of Assam will neither forget nor forgive this betrayal,’ he said.
