GUWAHATI, Feb 7: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday alleged that senior Congress leaders Bhupen Kumar Borah and Debabrata Saikia made offensive gestures towards women during a recent party rally.
He said that the Congress should expel Borah, a former state party president, and Saikia, the leader of the opposition in the assembly, for “disrespecting women”.
Dismissing the allegation, Saikia said the chief minister should concentrate on the many problems the state is facing.
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Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a government programme here, Sarma claimed that a hand gesture was made in Guwahati a couple of days ago from atop a bus being used by the Congress for its ongoing state-wide rally.
Maintaining that it was a gesture towards all Assamese girls and women, he said, “If the party doesn’t expel them, I don’t think they will be able to go anywhere. It is about all women, not about any ‘jati’ (community).”
Sarma said that he has directed that the video clip be sent to the women’s commission so that cognisance is taken of it.
“I can’t even imagine a leader of the opposition, a former party president making such gestures, that too when Mira Borthakur (state Mahila Congress president) was with them,” he added.
He said that the matter will be discussed in cabinet meet scheduled for Saturday evening.
The chief minister expressed surprise over the local media not reporting on the incident and claimed that an acquaintance from New Delhi forwarded him the clip.
Reacting to the allegation, Saikia said, “I don’t know how he can say something like this. I don’t know what he keeps thinking. Nothing like what he is trying to say had happened. There was some conversation going on and I had only laughed.”
“There are so many problems in the state. The chief minister should focus on those,” the Congress leader added. (PTI)
