Guwahati, Feb 12: The main opposition party in Assam, the Congress, came down heavily on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa sarma for his ‘father’s son’ barb at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a poll rally in Uttarakhand, claiming that by his controversial statement Sarma has ‘tarnished’ the image of the state.

In a poll rally in Uttarakhand on Friday, the Assam Chief Minister had targeted Gandhi for asking proof for the surgical strike inside Pakistan. “Have we ever asked you if you are really Rajiv Gandhi’s son or not?” he had questioned, which has been vehemently opposed by the Assam Congress.

“Rahul Gandhi wanted proof of the Bipin Rawat-led surgical strike. Did we ever ask proof of which father’s son you are? Who gave you the right to ask for proof from the Army? If our soldiers have said they carried out the attack inside Pakistan, that’s final. Don’t you believe Bipin Rawat or soldiers? Have we ever asked if you are really Rajiv Gandhi’s son or not? So don’t disgrace the soldiers,” the Assam CM had said.

Slamming the Assam CM for his remarks, Assam Congress President Bhupen Borah said, “Assamese are known as cultured and well-mannered people all over the world and the state is popular across the globe as a centre of spirituality. Today all that was reduced to dust with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s deplorable remarks questioning Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s father’s identity at an election rally in Uttarakhand. This has lowered the image of Assam’s residents in the eyes of the world.”