BJP's Himanta Biswa Sarma starts Twitter war to defend 'Cancer is karma' statement

New Delhi : Bhartiya Janata Party's stalwart in North East India, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has landed in a soup and he refuses to climb out. The Assam Health Minister on Wednesday said that cancer is a product of "karmic law". The statement generated a huge outcry from all corners, but instead of apologising for the statement, the BJP leader is defending it, tweet by tweet. 

Respoding to Congress leader P Chidambaram's critical tweet, Sarma not only took a jibe at later's eight years out of Congress stint but also Rahul Gandhi's pet dog Pidi. "By the way sir when did you rejoin @INCIndia ? As per as I know you were in Tamil Maanila Congress. Privileged people can indulged in any activity right from Chit Fund to Inxmedia, can switch party. After all #Pidi likes privileged people (sic)," he tweeted. 

It was Mr Sarma's second response to Mr Chidambaram's jibe last night when he said, "Cancer is divine justice for sins' says Assam Minister Sharma. That is what switching parties does to a person."

"Sir, please do not distort. Simply I said that Hinduism believe in karmic law and human sufferings are linked to karmic deficiency of past life. Don't you belief that too? Of course in your party I do not know whether Hindu philosophy can be discussed at all (sic)," Mr Sarma had retorted earlier. 

Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is a law graduate and has a PhD, was speaking to teachers after handing over appointment letters on Tuesday when he said in Assamese, "God makes us suffer when we sin. Sometimes we come across young men getting inflicted with cancer or young men meeting with accidents. If you observe their background you will come to know that it's divine justice. Nothing else. We have to suffer that divine justice."

"In this lifetime or in our previous life, or perhaps my father or mother... perhaps that young man did not do but his father has done something wrong. It is mentioned even in Gita, Bible about the outcome of one's actions. No point in being sad... all will get the outcome of this life's actions in this life only. That divine justice always will be there. Nobody can escape the divine justice that will happen," PTI further quoted Sarma as saying.

Despite massive criticism for his statement, the BJP leader is set on defending it. 

Sarma is credited with the BJP's turn of fortunes in the north-east ever since he quit the Congress and joined the party. He decided to leave the Congress after Rahul Gandhi allegedly refused to meet him in Delhi, preferring to play with his pet Pidi.

Since joining BJP, Sarma has helped the party ousted Congress from Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.