Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made a highly controversial statement about “Akhand Bharat” and “integrating Bangladesh” during a diplomatic visit to India by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
“India is united. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Silchar to Saurashtra, we are one. Congress partitioned the country into India and Pakistan. Then Bangladesh was created. If Rahul Gandhi feels apologetic that my maternal grandfather (Jawaharlal Nehru) made mistakes, if he regrets it, then no point of ‘Bharat Jodo’ in Indian territory. Try to integrate Pakistan, and Bangladesh and strive to create Akhand Bharat,” said the Assam chief minister in a video tweeted by news agency ANI.
Sarma said this while about the Congress’ ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra,’ in which Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders will travel 3,500 kilometres from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJP’s ideological parent, promotes the concept of an “undivided India,” which includes Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Tibet, and Myanmar.
The Assam chief minister’s remark about “integrating Bangladesh with India” comes during Sheikh Hasina’s four-day visit to India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Bangladesh counterparts yesterday to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral ties.
To further strengthen relations, the two countries have signed seven Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).
“India is our friend. Whenever I come here, it is a pleasure for me, especially because we always recall the contribution India has made during our liberation war. We have a friendly relationship, we are cooperating with each other,” the Bangladesh Prime Minister said on Tuesday.
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