“I was the first one to stop him”: Rakibul Hussain on Bhupen Borah’s resignation from Congress

Senior Congress leader and MP Rakibul Hussain, during a press briefing on February 17, responded to one of the reports stating that yesterday (February 16) in Nagaon, while he was addressing a press conference for the whole day, he was the first person to stop him from leaving the Congress party. He questioned the reporter, saying that if someone had already made up their mind beforehand, things would not work that way.

When asked about allegations made by Bhupen Borah against him, Hussain countered by asking why questions were not raised about whether Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had any links with ULFA, or whether he had gone to someone’s place in the name of ULFA to collect money, and whether he was ever apprehended red-handed. He also questioned whether Sarma had any involvement in the murder of Manabendra Sarma, describing him as a trade union leader and a people’s leader, not a Congress leader.

Hussain further told the reporter, “You are not liking this question of mine, your face says it all.” He added that the reporter had been asking about something that happened recently while ignoring what had happened the previous day, and said, “Ask me about that first.”

He stated that it is a reporter’s job to ask questions and his duty to reply, but accused the reporter of also giving opinions. When the reporter said that the topic of the day was about Bhupen Borah, Hussain responded that he would reply to everything within two days “from full stop to comma, etc.”