Congress, Gaurav Gogoi kneeling before particular community for own interests: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on January 16 launched a sharp attack on the Congress and its state president Gaurav Gogoi, accusing them of compromising the state’s welfare and identity by “kneeling before a particular community” for vested political interests.

Addressing the public through a Facebook Live, Sarma also claimed that details of an Assam MP allegedly maintaining secret contacts with Pakistan and showing “special affection” towards a specific community would be made public before the end of this month. 

While he refrained from naming Gogoi, the BJP has repeatedly alleged that the Congress MP from Jorhat, who is also the party’s deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, has links with the neighbouring country.

“The Congress has kneeled before a particular community. If it were for the good of society, it would have been different. But it is being done at the cost of the welfare of our motherland and the identity of our people. This cannot be accepted. The Congress and Gaurav Gogoi must understand this,” Sarma said.

He asserted that “special affection for a specific community” and “secret contact with Pakistan” pose serious dangers to Assam. “Our ‘jati’ is in danger, and we are trying to save it. But a section driven by vested interests is trying to weaken us,” he said, adding that unity among people would ensure victory in what he described as a “war of identity”.

The Chief Minister also referred to the controversy surrounding remarks made by former All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) president Rejaul Karim Sarkar while joining the Congress on January 11 in the presence of Gogoi. Sarkar later resigned from the party on January 14.

“When someone joins the Congress, we usually do not comment as it is their internal matter. But on that day, a controversial statement was made about turning Sivasagar into Dhubri and vice versa,” Sarma said.

He claimed that around 80 per cent of Dhubri’s population now comprises people of Bangladeshi origin and that Assamese culture is diminishing in the western Assam district. In contrast, Sarma described Sivasagar as the cultural and historical heartbeat of Assam, being the first capital of the Ahom dynasty, the birthplace of the first Assamese newspaper Orunudoi, and home to UNESCO World Heritage site Charaideo Maidam and the iconic Shivadol.

“It is impossible to turn Sivasagar into Dhubri or Dhubri into Sivasagar because of their distinct characteristics,” he said, adding that objections arise when statements imply transforming Sivasagar by settling people of Bangladeshi origin there.

Sarma further alleged that Sarkar spoke about engaging in “education jihad” and suggested that deputy commissioners in districts like Sivasagar, Jorhat, and Guwahati should be from Bangladesh-origin communities. The Chief Minister questioned Gogoi’s silence during these remarks, saying the Congress leader should have expelled Sarkar if he did not withdraw such statements.

“Instead, Sarkar resigned on his own and is now being projected as a hero among minority communities. Gogoi allowed this in exchange for the ‘asmita’ and pride of Sivasagar,” Sarma claimed.

The Chief Minister also criticised Gogoi for allegedly failing to act against another Congress leader who had recently demanded reservation on the basis of religion, asserting that such silence reflects poor leadership accountability.