Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, accusing him of indulging in appeasement politics over religious issues.
Sarma alleged that Gogoi's act of offering namaz in the Sivasagar constituency, while not attending the inauguration of the Ram temple, amounted to appeasement politics.
"The people of Assam do not require appeasement; they demand employment and development," Sarma asserted.
Gogoi, contesting as the Congress candidate from the Jorhat Lok Sabha seat, faced criticism for his religious gestures.
"Gaurav Gogoi seems to know the correct postures of offering namaz. I don't know where he has learnt it. But there is a question here the way he and Akhil Gogoi have shown so much devotion to Eid, why did they not show the same during the Ram mandir pran prathistha?" Mr Sarma said.
"When the pran prathistha was happening, he (Gaurav Gogoi) was fighting the administration and breaking laws walking beside Rahul Gandhi on the roads of Assam during the Congress yatra," the Chief Minister said.
"He has committed a big sin. He has not even visited Ram mandir once. He doesn't go to Kamakhya temple. We have so many other festivals, but we don't see his devotion there. People like him love no one. No Hindu, no Muslim. The Muslims of Assam do not need this kind of appeasement," Mr Sarma said.
Critics argue that Gogoi's actions reflect a lack of commitment to any community, be it Hindu or Muslim, as he appears to play to different religious sentiments selectively.
Meanwhile, the nomination process for four Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam, including Guwahati, has commenced for the third phase, scheduled for May 7, according to the Election Commission.
The nomination filing deadline is April 19, with scrutiny set for the following day and withdrawal allowed until April 22.
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