Assam

Guwahati/Bihar: A seemingly innocuous tweet by Assam Health Minister Ashok Singhal about cauliflower farming in Bihar has ignited a political storm, particularly in Assam. While Bihar leaders remained largely silent, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi and TMC spokesperson Saket Gokhale criticized the tweet, linking it to the infamous Bhagalpur riots of 1989. The controversy stems from a grim historical connection: during the Bhagalpur riots, hundreds of Muslims were killed, and, according to reports, some of the mass graves were later covered with cauliflower crops. On 24 October 1989, tensions escalated in Bhagalpur when a procession marking the Ram Janmabhoomi movement clashed with local Muslim residents. The violence spread rapidly, leaving around 900–1,000 people dead and affecting nearly...