Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s explosive prediction that Sarma would soon be jailed, accusing the Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha) of hypocrisy and reminding him of his own legal troubles.

Speaking at a gathering in Assam, Rahul Gandhi claimed that the downfall of Himanta Biswa Sarma was imminent. “What I say, happens,” he said, referring to past predictions about the consequences of demonetisation, the GST rollout, and COVID-19 mismanagement. He added, “Very soon, the media will show your Chief Minister going to jail. Not even Narendra Modi or Amit Shah will be able to save him.”

Gandhi accused Sarma of being “corrupt to the core”, alleging that the Chief Minister is involved in continuous land grabbing. “He steals Assam’s land 24 hours a day — sometimes in the name of a solar park, sometimes a resort. Every child in Assam knows this,” he said, adding that this alleged public anger would be the real driving force behind Sarma’s downfall.

Reacting sharply, Sarma said Gandhi had made similar remarks in a closed-door Congress meeting. “Write it down — ‘Himanta Biswa Sarma will definitely be sent to jail’ — is exactly what Rahul Gandhi told his political affairs committee in Assam,” said the Chief Minister.

He questioned Gandhi’s moral authority to speak on corruption, noting that the Congress leader himself is currently out on bail in several criminal cases. “He came to Assam just to say this, but conveniently forgot his own legal reality,” Sarma remarked.

In a biting farewell, Sarma added, “My best wishes to you. Enjoy the hospitality of Assam for the rest of the day.”