Why Jairam Ramesh slammed TV channels over Assam CM's dig at Rahul Gandhi

Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in-charge communications, on Wednesday lashed out at TV channels for “debates” on Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's “obnoxious” remarks on Rahul Gandhi's beard.

During a public rally in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, Sarma had claimed Gandhi was looking like "Saddam Hussein", the former Iraqi dictator, drawing a sharp rebuke from the Congress.

"I just saw that his looks have also changed. I said in a TV interview a few days back that there is nothing wrong with his new look. But if you have to change the looks, at least make it like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel or even Jawaharlal Nehru will do. It is better if it looks like Gandhiji. But why is your face turning into Saddam Hussein?" Sarma took a dig at Gandhi.

Hitting back, Ramesh tweeted, "It is truly pathetic that several TV channels did debates today on Assam CM's obnoxious and totally unacceptable comments on Rahul Gandhi's beard. This trivializes the Bharat Jodo Yatra."

"These channels must do some serious self-introspection on what they have reduced themselves to," Ramesh added.

Congress leader Manish Tewari also targeted the Assam chief minister claiming his comments were sounding like a "petty troll".

Gandhi has been seen sporting a beard during the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra, a mass contact initiative of the Congress.

Sarma said he saw Narmada Bachao Andolan activist Medha Patkar with Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Maharashtra.

"She is the one who conspired to deprive Gujarat of water. Had she succeeded, the Narmada water would have never reached Kutch. Rahul Gandhi is doing Bharat Jodo Yatra with such people who never wanted Gujarat's development," the Assam chief minister claimed.