Had Kanhaiya Lal's murder happened in Assam, I would've settled scores in 10 mins: Himanta Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday that had an incident like Kanhaiya Lal's murder took place in his state, he would have settled scores within 10 minutes.

Addressing a Parivartan Yatra rally at the Nayapura Stadium in Kota on Thursday afternoon, Sarma said: “Had an incident like Kanhaiya Lal's murder happened in Assam, I would have settled the score within 10 minutes. Within a few minutes, news of another incident would have been aired on TV. But people like Ashok Gehlot are only sitting on their chair, doing nothing.”

Lal, a tailor by profession, was brutally hacked to death in Udaipur in June 2022, for allegedly insulting Islam. The NIA had filed a charge sheet against 11 accused persons in the case in December last year.

The gruesome killing by two men who filmed the act and bragged about avenging an insult to Islam had sparked tension and protests in Udaipur, and other parts of the country. Both the attackers seen on camera have been arrested.

Addressing the gathering, Sarma said, "I was in the Congress for 22 years. The party comes up with distribution schemes before the elections, and then takes care of the election expenses through them. The Annapurna food packet scheme is not for the poor, but meant to fill someone's pocket.

"If the scheme is aimed to help the poor people, why was it not launched five years ago? People were facing food crisis during the Covid pandemic. All these schemes will be closed two days after the elections. With what face will Rahul Gandhi come to Rajasthan? First he should take a dip in Ganga, ask for forgiveness, and then only come to Rajasthan."

The Annapurna Food Packet scheme was launched by the Gehlot government in the poll-bound state on Independence Day this year. Under this initiative, families covered by the National Food Security Act (NFSA) will receive monthly Annapurna food packets containing essential items from fair price shops for free. 

Sarma continued, "We are not worried about elections. We don't want to please anyone just three months before the elections. If you make the MLAs sit in a hotel and feed them for 35 days, the MLAs will develop the habit of eating.

"Gehlot made a big mistake. Sachin Pilot should have been taken to Rahul Gandhi's house. Both of them could have decided who will be the CM. To become the CM, the MLAs were kept in a hotel for 35 days and the MLAs came to know that the CM could be blackmailed."  

Attacking Chief Minister Gehlot, Sarma said: "Gehlot says that he will not allow Rajasthan to become a Hindu state. But Hindus have been in Rajasthan for thousands of years. As long as there is moon and sun, Rajasthan will remain a Hindu state. The people of Rajasthan did not become Hindus with the permission of Congress."