'You left us confused': Himanta mocks Rahul Gandhi for his 'coal on stove' remark

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday mocked former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi over his speech at a 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' rally in the north-eastern state. He shared a clip of Gandhi's speech from a rally in Dhubri where the Congress leader is heard speaking about preparing tea using "coal on a stove". "Coal on the stove? We were just getting over the idea of you making gold from potatoes when you put coal in the stove and left us confused. Are you out of your mind?" asked Sarma in a tweet. 

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The chief minister also slammed Gandhi for saying someone told him that gamosa can be used to wipe the body. "Gamochha of Assam is not just for wiping the body. It is a symbol of the self-respect of Assam," Sarma said. "There are many types of Gamocha. In Bihu, the biggest festival of Assam, Gamocha is used as Bihuan, for honoring guests, for the seat of the Lord and to be worn on festivals and other ceremonies."

"Who teaches you this nonsense? Or do you say anything deliberately?" Sarma asked. 

At his party's rally in Dhubri, Gandhi had targeted Sarma, calling him the "most corrupt" chief minister in the country. "While he (Sarma) speaks to you, he steals your land. While you chew betel nut, he corners the supari business. He has taken land in Kaziranga National Park also"," Gandhi said.

The Conngress leader also referred to the media conglomerate owned by the wife of Sarma and said the channel shows what the chief minister wants it to show. "Whatever is told to you by the media is exactly what Assam CM has conveyed to them. The control of Assam's Chief Minister is in the hands of Amit Shah. If he (Himanta) dares to say anything against Amit Shah, he will be thrown out of the party," he said. 

During the speech, for which he was mocked, Gandhi said, "When you wake up in the morning and put coal on the stove to prepare tea, the profit from coal is that of your Chief Minister's. The tea which you drink, its plantations and gardens belong to your chief minister. The newspaper that you read and the television that you watch are both owned by your chief minister."