This is what switching parties does to person, says P Chidambaram on Sarma’s remark

New Delhi: A day after Assam’s Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made a controversial remark mocking people suffering from cancer, his criticism received backlash from various Congress leaders.

A day after Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that people suffer from life-threatening diseases such as cancer because of sins committed in the past, several Congress leaders slammed the minister for his remark.

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram took to Twitter and said: “‘Cancer is divine justice for sins’ says Assam Minister Sharma. That is what switching parties does to a person.”

Kapil Sibal too took to twitter to lash out the Minister for his remark saying, “Hemanta Biswa Sarma says that cancer is divine justice for sins committed. That such a person is minister is divine injustice.”

Assam’s Health, Education and Finance Minister of Assam Hemanta Biswa Sarma yesterday mocked people suffering from cancer adding that is what Karma does to you, he said, “Hinduism believes in karmic law and human suffering is linked to karmic deficiency in past life.”

MLA Randeep S Surjewala directing his question straight to PM Modi and tweeted, “Now, BJP Minister & Convenor abuses India’s cancer patients & their families. Mr. PM, as you tacitly support such lampooning of the brave hearts who fight cancer every second of their life, when will you act and sack such elements?”

Earlier, on Wednesday, the Health Minister was at an event in Guwahati to distribute appointment letters to 248 school teachers, where he had made the controversial statement saying, “People cannot compensate for the sins that are committed against the Unseen. Many often wonder why a person has been afflicted by cancer, why a young man has been affected by cancer. But when you see the background, it will be found that it is divine justice, nothing else.”