‘Empty threats, will courier biscuits’: Congress leader to Himanta Biswa Sarma

Replying to Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s threat to Rahul Gandhi that they will meet in the ‘Court of Law’, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate asked Himanta to keep “empty threats” to himself. “And send me your address — will courier your favourite biscuits to you,” Shrinate wrote in a stinging attack.

The fresh Congress versus Himanta Biswa Sarma began with Rahul Gandhi’s tweet on Adani and ₹20,000 crore. In the tweet, names of five former Congress leaders were written including that of Kiran Kumar Reddy and Anil Antony — the two latest joinings in the BJP.

“It was our decency to have never asked you on where have you concealed the proceeds of crime from the Bofors and National Herald Scms. And how you allowed Ottavio Quattrochhi to escape the clutches of Indian justice multiple time. Any way we will meet in the Court of Law,” Himanta replied.

Surpiya Shrinate’s reply comes in this context and made a reference to the Assam CM’s account of his meeting with Rahul Gandhi before he quit the Congress. Before leaving the Congress in August 2015, Himanta had a meeting with Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi. Recalling the meeting, Himanta later said some Congress leaders at the meeting ate biscuits from the same plate from where Rahul Gandhi’s dog Pidi was also eating biscuits. Rahul Gandhi was playing with his dog without listening to the leaders.

While the Congress brought together the opposition parties in the demand of a joint parliamentary committee probe into the Adani case, Rahul Gandhi’s conviction by a Surat court and a subsequent disqualification from the Lok Sabha has become the latest flashpoint. What added to this are the three recent exits from the Congress — former undivided Andhra Pradesh chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, AK Antony’s son Anil Antony and Rajagopalachari’s great-grandson CR Kesavan.

Rahul Gandhi’s tweet on Saturday which started the fresh row came under attack as several BJP leaders rued that the former Congress MP was acting like a social media troll.