Bhopal: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday saw an opportunity for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to win hearts of Hindus by booting out DMK from the nascent Opposition grouping, I.N.D.I.A alliance, in the wake of Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin’s son Udayanidhi hurling abuses at Sanatan Dharma.
Mr Sarma, who was currently on a visit to the poll-bound Madhya Pradesh to campaign for BJP, told reporters in Jabalpur in the state that TN chief minister Mr Stalin’s son Udayanidhi’s attack on Sanatan Dharma has created an opportunity for Mr Gandhi to win over Hindus.
“Mr Gandhi will win hearts of Hindus if he ensures that DMK and TN chief minister Mr Stalin are booted out of the I.N.D.I.A alliance”, Mr Sarma said.
He however wondered if Mr Gandhi had the courage to take any such move.
The Sanatan Dharma row triggered by Stalin junior and some other leaders of the Opposition alliance has changed the election profiles in three states, Mr Sarma said while indicating that the issue has polarised politics in some states in the country.
“In at least three poll-bound states, Sanatan Dharma will replace BJP as principal Opposition of I.N.D.I.A alliance following the row”, Mr Sarma said.
He regretted the mounting attack on Sanatan Dharma by the constituents of Sanatan Dharma, saying that Hindus are silent over it because they are tolerant.
“Had it happened to other religions, slogans like ‘shir taan se juda’ (behead) would have been raised by now”, he said.
He also took a jibe at the Opposition bloc for declaring to boycott 14 anchors of news channels for allegedly being biased against them, saying that the alliance leaders should be sent to the moon by India’s Chandrayaan-three to gag the media there.
Mr Sarma is scheduled to take part in the ongoing ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’, a mega mass outreach campaign launched by BJP in the state on September three, in Chhindwara and Panna in MP.
