Nagaon bypoll: ‘With a beard, Himanta looks like Ajmal; like Ghajini, he forgets every 15 minutes’: Gaurav Gogoi

Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during a campaign rally at Kaloni Jalah in Juria on October 3, drawing a comparison between the Chief Minister and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal.

“If you put a beard on the Chief Minister’s face, he looks like Badruddin Ajmal. And in Badruddin Ajmal’s eyes, you can see Himanta Biswa Sarma,” Gogoi said, taking a swipe at both leaders.

Gogoi also alleged that Sarma frequently forgets what he says, comparing the Chief Minister’s statements to the memory-loss theme depicted in Aamir Khan’s film Ghajini.

“Like Aamir Khan’s Ghajini, the Chief Minister forgets what he says every 15 minutes,” Gogoi said.

Gogoi also returned to the controversy surrounding Mumtaz Begum, alleging that her son may have been pressured or intimidated after speaking publicly about his mother.

He claimed that he had written to the Centre and the Ministry of External Affairs regarding the matter.

Gogoi further alleged that there was a possibility of Mumtaz Begum being subjected to an encounter if someone issued such an order, though he did not provide evidence to substantiate the claim.

The Congress leader also accused the state government of using welfare schemes such as Orunodoi and entrepreneurship initiatives as political tools instead of addressing what he described as the core problems faced by people.

He alleged that the government was using welfare schemes to create fear among voters during the election campaign.

The remarks came during Gogoi’s campaign for Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora ahead of the October 6 Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll. The constituency has emerged as a key three-way contest involving the BJP-led NDA, Congress and AIUDF.

Gogoi’s comments come amid an increasingly sharp exchange between Congress and the BJP during the final days of campaigning for the bypoll.