Himanta Sarma's 'Thumbs Up' Gesture On Rahul Gandhi's Jail Remark Goes Viral

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma rebuts Rahul Gandhi’s jail remark with a dismissive gesture, linking his speech to a violent eviction clash in Goalpara. Tensions rise amid ongoing land disputes.

By : ABP Live News | Updated at : 18 Jul 2025 10:56 AM (IST)

Himanta Sarma’s Viral Gesture After Rahul Gandhi’s Jail Remark.
Source : ANI

A day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi declared that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma would "go to jail" over alleged corruption, the BJP leader responded sharply—with both words and gestures. Sarma was seen making the "thenga" gesture, a traditional Indian sign of derision, during a late-night press briefing Thursday, directly dismissing Gandhi’s remarks.

“I’m an Assamese”: Sarma Responds with Personal Jibe

The verbal sparring followed Gandhi’s visit to Chaygaon, Assam, on Wednesday, where he accused the Chief Minister of corruption and claimed the people of Assam would ensure his imprisonment. Responding in Assamese, Sarma lashed out at Gandhi in personal terms.

“Let me make this very clear to Rahul Gandhi,” Sarma said. “I am an Assamese, born and raised here. I didn’t grow up on a feeding bottle—I was nourished with my mother’s milk. So I am showing him the burha anguli (thumb),” he said, reinforcing the insult with the controversial hand gesture.

He added that even Congress workers in the state were unhappy with Gandhi’s remarks. “They called me and said, ‘Dada, did he come here just to say this?’ So yes, I’m showing him the burha anguli.”

Assam Eviction Clash Leaves One Dead, Dozens Injured

But the political feud took a more serious turn when Sarma linked Gandhi’s comments to a violent clash that erupted the following morning in Assam’s Goalpara district. A scheduled eviction drive at the Paikan Reserve Forest turned chaotic, resulting in 21 police and forest officials being injured in a stone-pelting attack. Security forces opened fire to control the situation, leaving one person dead and two others hospitalized.

“Rahul Gandhi’s statements gave encouragement to encroachers,” Sarma alleged. “He said they would be rehabilitated on the same land and given homes. That emboldened people to act unlawfully.”

Officials Defend Eviction Drive, File Police Case

Goalpara District Commissioner Prodip Timung confirmed that the eviction was both legal and pre-planned. “When forest and police personnel went to clear the area, they were attacked with stones and sticks,” he said.

A police case has been registered in connection with the violence, and Sarma indicated that the state government would scrutinize speeches made by both Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge during their recent visit to Assam. If a link is established between their rhetoric and the clash, legal action could follow.

“Many Jails Waiting for the Gandhis,” Says Sarma

“If evidence surfaces, action will be taken against both Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge,” Sarma warned. “There are many jails waiting for the Gandhis. Just today, the Enforcement Directorate seized several properties linked to Robert Vadra.”

Gandhi Accuses BJP of Land Grab for Industrialists

During his visit, Gandhi accused the BJP government of displacing people from their land to benefit a handful of industrialists. “This is not just happening in Assam—it’s happening across India,” he told party workers in Chaygaon, about 40 km from Guwahati. “Land is being taken away and handed over to a few corporations.”

Sarma pushed back strongly, calling Gandhi’s comments “reckless” and “dangerous.” According to the Chief Minister, such remarks risk triggering unrest—pointing to the violence in Goalpara as evidence.

Published at : 18 Jul 2025 10:56 AM (IST)
Tags :
Himanta Biswa Sarma Assam Eviction Drive Congress Vs BJP RAHUL GANDHI Assam Politics Viral Gesture Thenga Gesture Burha Anguli Jail Remark Goalpara Violence Robert Vadra ED

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