Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain snapped back at Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll campaign. Sarma recently labeled the Congress leader Bakasura, a mythological figure known for his insatiable hunger. The Chief Minister accused Hussain of swallowing government funds meant for public schemes.
Hussain met the insult with a series of cutting jokes about biryani. He dismissed the corruption allegations by pivoting to his own appetite. "God has sent me into this world to eat biryani," Hussain said. He claimed his wealth exists solely to fund his food habits. The MP pushed the joke further by contrasting his life with standard human development.
Hussain joked that while babies drink mother's milk, he started his life by consuming chicken biryani. He insisted that he remains different from both rich and poor people who rely on basic nutrition at birth. This verbal spar escalated during campaign stops in Samaguri as political opponents trade personal attacks. The exchange marks another bitter chapter in the ongoing rivalry between the Chief Minister and the Congress veteran.
Updated at 1st October 2026 at 9:46am
While the verbal war rages, the Chief Minister faced criticism on a separate front. Sarma issued an apology after a video showed an ambulance carrying a patient stuck in traffic to make way for his convoy in Silchar. The Chief Minister called the delay unacceptable and ordered an inquiry, stating that no official movement should ever take precedence over a life in need of urgent care.
Sarma acknowledged that his own standing orders to avoid inconveniencing citizens were ignored by staff on the ground. He vowed to take firm action against any officials found responsible for the lapse during his visit for a public meeting.
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