Assam CM Himanta calls those born to eat biryani 'animals' amid Lok Sabha bypoll campaign

Nagaon: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has intensified his verbal duel with Congress MP Rakibul Hussain ahead of the October 6 Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll, declaring that “those born to eat biryani are animals” while asserting that only those “born to drink mother’s milk are human beings”.

The remark came during a public rally at Juria in the Nagaon constituency, where Sarma was campaigning for BJP candidate Devasish Sharma. It was a direct response to Hussain’s sarcastic comment that God had sent him into the world to enjoy biryani, made after the chief minister had earlier dubbed the opposition leader “Bakasura”, a mythological demon known for its insatiable appetite, and accused him of “gobbling up” funds meant for government schemes.

“Those who are born to drink mother’s milk are human beings, and those born to eat biryani are animals,” Sarma said, drawing cheers from supporters. The exchange has dominated campaign rhetoric in the bypoll, which was necessitated after former Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi quit the party just days before the Assam assembly election to join the BJP and later won from the Dispur assembly constituency.

Beyond the biryani jibe, the BJP leader also targeted Congress MLA Nurul Huda, accusing him of failing to deliver development in his Rupohihat Assembly constituency, which falls under the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat. “He has no role in the development of colleges, schools, roads, and extending benefits of government schemes to women. A tap was promised in every house, but water never flowed out of it,” Sarma said, adding that locals now claimed Huda had left the area with “nothing but pipes and promises”.

Claiming a strong groundswell for the BJP, Sarma said he had addressed three large rallies across the constituency and that voters who had previously backed Congress were now recognising the saffron party as the only one capable of delivering good governance. “We had the blessings of our mothers, the love of our sisters, and the support from our friends as we toured across the constituency,” he added.

Sarma also advised AIUDF chief and MLA Badruddin Ajmal, who is contesting the bypoll, to retire from active politics, saying he was old and should hand over responsibility to one of his three sons. He further alleged that the Congress and AIUDF were united, directly or indirectly, to oppose the BJP.

Polling for the Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election is scheduled for October 6, with counting of votes set for October 9. The contest is seen as a key test of political momentum in central Assam ahead of future electoral battles.