‘Change hand to lungi’: Himanta’s jibe at Congress triggers political firestorm; Borah hits back with Godse remark

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 21, 2025

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ignited a political controversy on Monday by mocking the Congress party, suggesting it should replace its election symbol from the ‘hand’ with a ‘lungi’. The comment, made during an election rally in Silapathar, Dhemaji district, has drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders who accused Sarma of making communal and culturally insensitive remarks.

“In the Congress era, development meant distributing lungis, tupis, and mosquito nets—not building roads or colleges,” Sarma said while accusing the Congress of neglecting real governance. “Ask people—did they get free school admissions? Were HSLC form fees waived? All they gave were mosquito nets,” he added, contrasting his administration’s performance through welfare schemes like Orunudoi and Nijut Moina.

Sarma also claimed Assam is now more socially cohesive, free from ethnic tensions, and praised the government’s shift to direct bank transfers, saying, “Women no longer queue up at Congress agents’ homes for lungis or mosquito nets. They get money directly from the state.”

The “lungi” remark, however, sparked an immediate backlash, especially for its perceived targeting of minority communities. Critics slammed it as disrespectful, divisive, and unbefitting of a Chief Minister. The comment went viral on social media, with many calling it a dog whistle laced with communal undertones.

Responding swiftly, Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah condemned Sarma’s speech, calling it an insult to the political legacy of Assam and its people. “The chair he occupies today was once held by Bharat Ratna Gopinath Bordoloi. Would he have ever made such statements? Himanta learned his political ABCs in Congress. He was elected on a Congress ticket, took oath as a minister representing the same party,” Borah said.

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He went further, bringing up Sarma’s past controversial remarks: “Let us not forget this is the same man who once said Muslim blood flows through Gujarat’s pipelines and called for a rickshaw puller to slap Narendra Modi. No Congress leader has stooped to that level.”

Borah also took a personal swipe at Sarma’s cultural framing of clothing. “For us, a dhoti, lungi, pyjama, or trousers are all part of life. I wear a dhoti to the temple, lungi at home, pyjama to political meetings, and trousers while travelling. These aren’t political symbols—they’re cultural habits.”

Turning the attack on BJP, Borah questioned the symbolism of the party’s lotus symbol. “If BJP thinks they can mock our symbol, then let’s talk about theirs. Why a lotus? If you trace their ideological roots, the real symbol should be the gun Nathuram Godse used to assassinate Mahatma Gandhi,” he said. “The politics of BJP and RSS began with that bullet. Himanta should speak to his Delhi bosses and ask them to change the lotus to a gun.”

Sarma’s comment has deepened the political divide ahead of the local polls, with the BJP defending it as satire aimed at the Congress’s poor governance record, while opposition leaders and civil society voices see it as a deliberate attempt to stoke identity politics and polarize voters.