Assam CM’s Viral ‘Thenga’ Gesture Stuns Rahul Gandhi After Corruption Jab
Himanta Biswa Sarma dismisses Rahul Gandhi’s jail threat with a bold hand gesture, linking Congress leader’s speech to violent clashes.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made headlines with a defiant “thenga” (thumb) gesture while rejecting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claim that he would be jailed for alleged corruption. The fiery response came during a late-night press briefing on Thursday, following Gandhi’s visit to Chaygaon, Assam, where he accused Sarma and the BJP government of corruption and land grabbing.
In a spirited rebuttal in Assamese, Sarma said, “I’m an Assamese, fed by my mother’s milk, not a feeding bottle. I show Rahul Gandhi the ‘burha anguli’ (thumb)!” He claimed even Congress members were upset with Gandhi’s remarks, quoting them as saying, “Dada, did he come here to say all this?” Sarma connected Gandhi’s speech to a violent clash during an eviction drive in Paikan Reserve Forest, Goalpara, on Thursday morning, alleging it incited encroachers to resist authorities.
The Paikan incident left 21 police and forest personnel injured after being attacked with stones and sticks; one person was killed, and two others were hospitalized after police fired to control the situation. Goalpara District Commissioner Prodip Timung called the eviction “scheduled and legal,” noting the violence that erupted.
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Sarma accused Gandhi of encouraging illegal land occupation by promising rehabilitation, stating, “His remarks motivated people to act unlawfully.” He added that authorities would investigate Gandhi’s and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s speeches for links to the violence, warning, “Many jails are waiting for the Gandhis.”
Gandhi, addressing party workers in Chaygaon, had claimed the BJP was seizing land nationwide to benefit industrialists. Sarma dismissed this as “reckless” and “dangerous,” linking it to the unrest in Goalpara. The Assam government’s ongoing eviction drives in forest reserves have sparked controversy, with the Congress accusing the BJP of targeting marginalized communities for political gain.
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