Guwahati, Oct 12 — Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday invoked an anecdote involving Prophet Muhammad to stress that people should practise what they preach, using the example to target Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his criticism of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Addressing reporters, Sarma narrated a story about a mother who approached Prophet Muhammad with her child and requested him to advise the youngster to stop eating too many sweets.
According to Sarma's account, the Prophet asked the mother and child to return after three days before offering his advice.
When the mother subsequently asked why he had not given the counsel during their first meeting, the Prophet reportedly explained that he himself had been consuming too many sweets and wanted to overcome the habit before advising the child against it.
Sarma cited the anecdote to underline the importance of personal example and consistency between one's words and actions.
Drawing a parallel with the ongoing political confrontation over the Election Commission, the Assam Chief Minister questioned LoP Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and challenged him to demonstrate consistency in his political position.
Sarma urged LoP Rahul Gandhi to first ask state governments led by the Congress and its alliance partners to resign before questioning the functioning of the poll body.
He specifically referred to Kerala, Jharkhand, Karnataka and Telangana, while also mentioning Tamil Nadu, and challenged the Congress leader to seek the resignation of governments run by his party or its allies.
Taking his challenge further, Sarma asked LoP Rahul Gandhi to publicly declare that he would not contest the upcoming election in Uttar Pradesh if Gyanesh Kumar continued as the Chief Election Commissioner.
The remarks come amid an intensifying political confrontation between the Congress and the ruling establishment over the functioning of the Election Commission and the role of the Chief Election Commissioner.
Sarma's invocation of the religious anecdote formed the central theme of his argument, with the Chief Minister seeking to frame his criticism of LoP Rahul Gandhi around the principle that political leaders should demonstrate through their own actions the standards they demand from others.
The exchange adds to the continuing political sparring between the BJP and the Congress over electoral institutions and the conduct of elections in the country.