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'Himanta Biswa Sarma would have been nowhere...': Jairam Ramesh claims betrayal
Jairam Ramesh said that Himanta Biswa Sarma was one of the first leaders to jump ship and join the "washing machine of the BJP".
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Saturday claimed Himanta Biswa Sarma betrayed the Congress party after it lost power. He said the Congress gave him "identity and position", and he would have been "nowhere" without the party's help.
Jairam Ramesh said Himanta Biswa Sarma was one of the first leaders to jump ship and join the "washing machine of the BJP".
He accused Himanta Sarma of being an opportunist.
"The Congress gave him identity and position, along with authority and responsibility, during the tenure of former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, but he chose to betray the party when it was not in power. It is a matter of great sorrow that those given a responsible position turn out to be opportunists. But that has not shattered our self-confidence," he told PTI.
He, however, said opportunists leaving the party was in its favour as it makes way for ideologically committed youngsters.
Jairam Ramesh said all regional parties and local leaders will return to the Congress if it forms a government at the Centre.
"I can assure you that there will be a reverse migration – whether in Assam, Nagaland or Manipur. They will all return once the Congress-led INDIA government comes to power in Delhi," he claimed.
Also read: Himanta Biswa Sarma's sharp ‘dining room’ jibe at Gandhi family: ‘Sitting at same table…’
Citing Manipur violence, Jairam Ramesh warned against allowing BJP and RSS to expand in the northeast.
"It is important to recognise that what has been happening in Manipur in the last 11 months is only a trailer of what will happen in other parts of Northeast if the BJP and RSS are allowed to grow further in the region," the Rajya Sabha MP said.
Himanta Biswa Sarma quit the Congress and joined the BJP in 2015. Over the years, he has emerged as the tallest BJP leader in the northeast. He is often credited for establishing the party as a political force in the northeast.
The Assam chief minister is a foremost critic of the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, known for making scathing attacks.
