Rahul Gandhi is madman: Himanta Sarma after Congress's Nandigram pick arrested

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday hit out at Rahul Gandhi over his criticism of the arrest of the Congress's Nandigram bypoll candidate in West Bengal, calling the former Congress chief "a mad person". Sarma defended the arrest of Milan Pradhan, saying the police had acted on pending warrants in old cases and that it was their duty to do so.

The arrest has triggered a political row ahead of the October 6 bypoll. While the Congress and the Trinamool Congress questioned the timing and alleged that the case was being used to target the opposition, the BJP rejected the charge and said the arrest was linked to pending criminal cases.

The West Bengal Police also said earlier attempts to arrest Pradhan had failed because he was absconding.

Speaking to reporters during his visit to Madhupur Sattra in Coochbehar, Sarma claimed Gandhi had allowed a murder accused to contest an election.

"What kind of a candidate will you call him? I have read in the newspapers that two or three murder cases were registered against him in 2007. When such matters come to light, the police will definitely have to arrest him as it is their duty," he said, responding to Gandhi's remarks that the arrest was "targeting the Opposition" and a "murder of democracy".

Sarma also said, "I laugh whenever I see Rahul Gandhi. He is a madman -- sometimes you will see him with a beard, sometimes clean-shaven and again, sometimes he is abroad and sometimes in India. He is nothing but a mad person."

According to the police, Pradhan was arrested on the basis of four pending arrest warrants in non-bailable cases linked to the 2007 anti-land acquisition movement in Nandigram. The cases relate to allegations of murder, attempt to murder, abduction with intent to murder, causing disappearance of evidence, house trespass, rioting with arms and deadly weapons.

Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also questioned the timing of the action.

"The timing (of the arrest) raises serious questions and is the usual BJP formula: dig out an old case. But why now? Just after we announced support to the Congress! The BJP's politics of vendetta and atrocities show a clear pattern. With manipulation, with vote loot, with intimidation, the election agency-BJP partnership is killing democracy every day," she said on X on Friday.