Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday hit out at the Congress, alleging that it treats Dalits as untouchables and third-class citizens.
Sarma's comments came in the wake of recent video clips purportedly showing AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge waiting outside as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra filed her nomination for the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.
"Congress stands exposed on Dalits after people saw video clips showing the treatment meted to Mallikarjun Kharge during Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's nomination...
“Rahul Gandhi indulges in drama and pretends that they respect Dalits, but the way Kharge ji was treated, it is clear that Congress treats Dalits as untouchables and third-class citizens," Sarma, who is also the co-incharge of assembly elections in Jharkhand, told reporters here.
He also said that “what happened to Kharge ji is self-explanatory”.
Sarma slammed his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren, asserting that he was answerable to the masses as to why he went to jail.
"It is obvious that he had not gone to jail due to a Jharkhand agitation or fight for independence," the Assam CM said.
Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on January 31 this year in a case of money laundering, linked to an alleged land scam.
The JMM leader has repeatedly claimed that he was sent to jail at the behest of the BJP, which hatched a conspiracy against him.
He was released on bail after five months.
Soren is also scheduled to participate in the nomination filing of a number of BJP leaders later in the day.
Assembly elections in Jharkhand will take place in two phases on November 13 and November 20, with the results to be announced on November 23.
The nomination process for the first phase started from October 18 and will conclude on October 25, while the same for the second phase began on October 22 and will continue till October 29.
Altogether 2.60 crore electors, including 11.84 lakh first-time voters and 1.13 lakh persons with disabilities (PwD), third gender and senior citizens over 85 years of age, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the upcoming elections.
