CM Himanta mocks Congress 'fear' taunt with 'aalu se sona' jibe
Synopsis
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma pinned a satirical X post demanding Congress explain what instrument they use to measure 'fear,' mocking their 'ये डर गए' refrain with a sharp reference to the 'आलू से सोना' machine as Assam's 2026 election season heats up.
Key Takeaways
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma pinned a satirical post on X mocking Congress's recurring 'ये डर गए' ('they got scared') accusation.
Sarma demanded Congress reveal the 'equipment' they use to measure fear, sarcastically referencing the 'आलू से सोना' ('gold from potatoes') machine — a long-ridiculed political allusion.
The post is pinned to his profile, functioning as a permanent standing rebuttal rather than a passing comment.
Sarma, a Congress-to-BJP defector since 2015 , has made sharp social-media counter-messaging a hallmark of his political style.
The exchange intensifies as Assam's 2026 assembly elections approach, with both parties escalating their social-media rhetoric.
When political rivals run out of arguments, they reach for the oldest playbook in the book — and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is not letting that pass quietly. In a pinned post on X, Sarma fired a sharp, satirical broadside at the Indian National Congress, skewering what he called their go-to rhetorical retreat: the accusation 'ये डर गए!' ('They got scared!').
The 'fear meter' question Congress cannot answer
Sarma's post cuts straight to the point with a mock-serious demand: 'Which equipment do you use to measure डर (fear)?' He then lands the real punch — asking whether Congress relies on the infamous 'आलू से सोना' ('gold from potatoes') machine, a long-running reference to a claim widely ridiculed in Indian political discourse as emblematic of Congress's credibility problem. The implication is clear — if Congress can conjure gold from potatoes, perhaps they have invented a fear-detector too.
The post is pinned to Sarma's profile, a deliberate signal that this is not a one-off quip but a standing rebuttal — a permanent counter-argument parked at the top of his timeline for any visitor to see first.
Sarma vs Congress: a rivalry sharpened by a defection
Himanta Biswa Sarma spent years inside the Congress before crossing over to the BJP in 2015 — a move that transformed Assam's political landscape. That insider knowledge makes his Congress critiques particularly pointed; he knows the party's rhetorical habits from the inside. Since becoming Chief Minister, Sarma has made social-media combat a signature tool, frequently dismantling Congress messaging with sarcasm rather than lengthy policy rebuttals.
The 'ये डर गए' taunt is a familiar Congress counter whenever a BJP leader declines a debate, avoids a question, or is perceived to be on the back foot. By demanding a scientific instrument to measure that fear — and mocking the absence of one — Sarma flips the script entirely, turning the accusation into a punchline.
Why the timing matters ahead of 2026
Political temperature in Assam is already rising with the 2026 state assembly elections on the horizon. BJP and Congress exchanges on X have grown sharper and more frequent as both sides jockey for narrative dominance. Pinning this post ensures it functions as a persistent talking point — a kind of open challenge that will sit at the top of Sarma's profile through the campaign season.
Whether Congress chooses to respond directly or absorbs the jab in silence will itself become a data point in Assam's pre-election social-media war. Sarma, for his part, is clearly content to let the question hang in the air: 'कौन डर गया और कितना डर गया!' — 'Who got scared, and how scared did they get?' 😄
Point of View
He links Congress's credibility gap on policy to their credibility gap on political rhetoric. As Assam's 2026 assembly election approaches, this kind of social-media positioning is less about winning a single exchange and more about setting the dominant narrative frame early — making 'Congress says things without evidence' the story, rather than whatever Congress was originally accusing BJP of.
NationPress
31 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Himanta Biswa Sarma post about Congress on X?
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma pinned a satirical post on X mocking Congress's habit of accusing BJP leaders of being 'scared' ('ये डर गए'), sarcastically demanding they reveal what instrument they use to measure fear.
What is the 'aalu se sona' machine reference in Indian politics?
The 'आलू से सोना' ('gold from potatoes') phrase is a long-running jibe in Indian politics used to ridicule what critics call implausible or unscientific claims, widely associated with Congress in BJP's political messaging.
Why did Himanta Biswa Sarma pin this post on his X profile?
Pinning the post signals it is a standing rebuttal — a permanent counter-argument to Congress's 'they got scared' taunt that Sarma wants every visitor to his profile to see first, especially as the 2026 Assam elections approach.
What is the BJP-Congress rivalry like in Assam?
BJP and Congress are the principal rivals in Assam politics. Sarma himself was a senior Congress leader before defecting to BJP in 2015, and the two parties have engaged in increasingly sharp social-media exchanges ahead of the 2026 state assembly elections.
When are the next Assam assembly elections?
The next Assam legislative assembly elections are scheduled for 2026 , and political rhetoric between BJP and Congress in the state has been intensifying in the run-up to that cycle.
