Amidst Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's statement on Wednesday, 7 September, about 'integrating Pakistan and Bangladesh' has stirred controversy.
While addressing reporters, Sarma targeted Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', saying that "India is already united. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Silchar to Saurashtra, we are one. In 1947, Congress partitioned the country into India and Pakistan, and later to Bangladesh (in 1971). If Rahul Gandhi feels apologetic about his maternal grandfather's mistakes, if he regrets it, then there is no point of doing 'Bharat Jodo' within Indian territory. Try integrating Pakistan, Bangladesh and work towards an 'Akhand Bharat'."
Congress' 3,570-km yatra from Kanyakumari to Srinagar will begin at 7 am on 8 September, when Rahul Gandhi and several other Congress leaders will embark on the journey on foot.
His comment comes at a time when Bangladesh's PM Hasina is on a four-day visit to India. On Tuesday, an exchange of agreement and memorandum of understanding (MoU) took place between Hasina and Indian PM Narendra Modi after their talks at the Hyderabad House in the national capital.
Earlier in the day, Sarma also tweeted, "The Bharat Jodo Yatra is a Comedy of the Century! The Bharat that we live in today is resilient, robust & united. The only time India was divided was in 1947 because Congress agreed for it. Rahul Gandhi ji should go to Pakistan for 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' if they want unification."
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