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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been displaying the Chinese constitution at his rallies, instead of the Indian one.
The BJP leader claimed that the book shown by Gandhi is with a red cover like the original Chinese constitution, whereas the original Indian constitution has a blue cover.
"Rahul is displaying a red Chinese constitution to the people attending his meetings," Sarma wrote on X.
In response, several social media users said that the red-bound Constitution is a coat pocket edition, which has been presented to top Indian leaders, including the President and the Union Home minister.
Sarma said the Indian constitution, "in blue, includes a chapter called the Directive Principles of State Policy, which makes it a sacred duty to enact a Uniform Civil Code in our country; Rahul is now opposing this".
"That's why I am sure that the constitution in his hand must be a Chinese one," the CM added.
Sarma shared a photo of Rahul Gandhi standing behind a podium with a book in red cover in his hand. The Assam chief minister also shared a photo in which Gandhi is seen signing an agreement with some Chinese delegates. Sonia Gandhi is also seen standing behind her son in the picture, with the pact signed during the Gandhis' visit during the Beijing Olympics.
The Congress mocked Himanta Biswa Sarma over the remark, with Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhupen kumar Borah saying, “Himanta, while I accept you are not colour-blind, you are definitely intellect-deficit. The cover of the Constitution of India, unlike an Indian Passport, need not be of a fixed colour. It could be red, green, blue, anything.”
Sarma had taken to X on Friday also to question the book displayed by Gandhi.
Sharing the photo of the Congress leader with the red-bound book, Sarma wrote, "The original copy of the Constitution of India has a blue cover. The original Chinese constitution has a red cover. Does Rahul carry a Chinese Constitution? We will need to verify," the Assam CM added.
The BJP leader had also shared a photo of the original Indian constitution, displayed in a glass box, with its blue cover.
Several social media users posted multiple photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and former President Ram Nath Kovind with a similar coat pocket edition of the Indian Constitution as displayed by Gandhi.