Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday courted controversy with a sharp jibe at the Congress, saying he “doubted if the members of the Congress party are born from their respective mothers’ wombs,” while defending his government’s welfare schemes for women.
The remark came during a public event where Sarma distributed Rs 10,000 seed funds to over 14,000 women beneficiaries under a state initiative aimed at promoting self-employment and entrepreneurship among women.
Known for his provocative remarks and combative stance toward the Opposition, Sarma accused the Congress of “reflexively criticising” every social welfare measure initiated by the BJP-led government.
“I think they are born from a machine because whenever the BJP government provides schemes for women, they start criticising it. Who will criticise their own mother if she receives help? We are all born from our mother’s womb,” he said, addressing reporters after the event.
The Chief Minister asserted that the women-centric entrepreneurship scheme reflects his government’s vision of empowering families from the grassroots and strengthening rural economies through women’s leadership.
The ruling BJP has intensified outreach programs across Assam’s rural belts, using welfare schemes as a key political narrative to consolidate support.
Later in the day, Sarma also weighed in on the massive Adivasi protest in Tinsukia, where thousands from tea-garden and Adivasi communities marched to demand long-pending welfare measures, land rights, and Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
“The protest is correct, and their demands are genuine. Even our party leaders will join them — the BJP supports their cause,” Sarma said, adding that his government is committed to addressing the community’s concerns through dialogue and inclusive policymaking.
The demonstration, marked by chants, slogans, and placards, underscored decades of unfulfilled promises to the Adivasi population — one of Assam’s largest and most marginalised groups.
Protesters demanded ST recognition, land ownership rights for landless families, and better wages for tea-garden workers, calling the movement a “fight for dignity and survival.”
The Adivasis, descendants of tribal labourers brought by the British to work in Assam’s tea plantations, have been seeking ST status for over five decades. Successive governments have formed committees and commissions, but the issue remained unresolved.
Sarma reiterated that his government would “ensure every deserving group in Assam gets their due rights and recognition,” adding that development and justice must reach all communities equally.