Gaurav Gogoi slams Nalbari desecration, accuses BJP minister of using communal forces to shield corruption

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on December 25 strongly condemned the alleged desecration of festive items and religious symbols at a school in Nalbari, calling the incident deeply disturbing and an attack on the constitutional value of fraternity.

In a statement, Gogoi targeted the sitting MLA from Nalbari, who is also a minister in the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government, alleging that he is responsible for “massive corruption” in the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scheme. Gogoi claimed that the minister is a close aide of the Chief Minister and accused him of resorting to communal tactics to safeguard his political standing.

Referring to the recent statewide Congress-led protests against the alleged JJM scam, Gogoi alleged that the BJP minister was now relying on organisations like the VHP and Bajrang Dal to reassert his position within the ruling party. He described this as a dangerous trend that threatens social harmony and diverts attention from corruption allegations.

“Fraternity is enshrined in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution,” Gogoi said, stressing that any act of desecration of religious symbols or rituals undermines the foundational values of the republic. He asserted that such incidents should be dealt with firmly, irrespective of the religion involved.

The Congress MP further stated that if the Congress comes to power in Assam next year, his party will enact a stringent law to strictly punish any individual or group found responsible for desecrating places of worship or religious rituals. He said the proposed law would apply equally to all religions, including Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Jainism and Sikhism.

Gogoi’s remarks come amid heightened political tensions in Assam, with the opposition intensifying its attack on the BJP government over alleged corruption and what it terms the misuse of communal forces for political gain.