Agartala:
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Thursday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of “excluding” the Northeast in his tweet about India being a “union” of states, saying the Congress leader’s “ignorance” was the reason “for wiping out the party” from the region.
Tripura CM attacked Mr Gandhi and said he has “forgotten” the northeastern states.
Assam’s chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, also criticized Gandhi for failing to mention the northeastern region in his tweet.
Tripura CM said Gandhi had “locked out” the region “like his great-grandfather” and India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
“To preach, Mr. Rahul Gandhi has forgotten our beautiful states in the Northeast. Like his great-grandfather, he has shut out our region? We are also a proud part of India. Your ignorance is the reason your party has completely wiped out Northeast,” said Deb in a tweet.
Assam CM addressed Mr Gandhi saying “India is much more than just a trade union” and asked what the Congress leader’s problem was with “nation, nationality and nationalism”.
Sarma accused the congress leader of having a “tukde-tuk” philosophy and said that “Bharat cannot be held hostage to it”.
He said Gandhi had forgotten about the Northeast in his tweet and had talked about India stretching from Gujarat to West Bengal.
“India is much more than just a union. We are a proud nation. Bharat cannot be held hostage by your tukde tukde philosophy. What is your problem with nation, nationality and nationalism? And hello, outside of Bengal we exist in the northeast.” said Mr Biswa.
In his tweet on Thursday, Gandhi accused the BJP-led government of “insulting the spirit of India”.
“There is strength in our Union. Our Union of Cultures. Our Union of Diversity. Our Union of Languages. Our Union of People. Our Union of States. From Kashmir to Kerala. From Gujarat to West Bengal. India is beautiful in all its colors. Don’t offend the spirit of India,” said Gandhi.
The congress leader had also discussed India as a union of states during his acknowledgment speech in the President’s speech in Lok Sabha.