Guwahati, Jan 15 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday criticised the Congress for posting an image of a ‘meji’, purportedly in the form of the BJP’s state headquarters, going up in flames on social media.
‘Meji’ or ‘bhela ghar’ are mainly structures of hay, straw or wood planks that are burnt as part of Bhogali or Magh Bihu celebrations.
State BJP president and Lok Sabha MP Dilip Saikia also condemned the opposition party, terming the social media post as “calculated attempt to incite unrest”.
The official party handle of the Congress on X had purportedly posted a picture on Wednesday of a hay/straw-made structure purportedly resembling the BJP headquarters here going up in flames, with the caption that let the ‘meji’ fire consume all evils plaguing the state, including divisive forces.
The post is not available on the social media site now.
Speaking to reporters on sidelines of an official programme in Dhubri district, Sarma said, “Those who run the Congress’ social media do not know Assamese culture. They must have given the social media handle on rent to someone who doesn’t know.” He maintained that the ‘meji’ burnt on Magh Bihu ‘sankranti’ is very different from the picture put up by the opposition party.
“Meji is burnt to dispel darkness and bring in light. But if we torch a building, it is out of jealousy to destroy it,” he said.
Affirming that no Assamese person has negative thoughts during Bihu, the chief minister added, “They (Congress) do not know Assamese culture and hence, they do such stuff and it distances them further from the public.” State BJP chief Saikia, in a statement, claimed that the Congress crossed all limits by circulating the AI-generated image.
Such an act is nothing short of an assault on the state’s peace-loving ethos and a calculated attempt to incite unrest, he alleged. PTI SSG SSG MNB
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.