‘Parivartan Yatra’ turns turbulent: Himanta claims Gaurav Gogoi–Bhupen Borah scuffle on bus

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on February 6 launched a sharp attack on the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee and its president Gaurav Gogoi, alleging serious infighting within the party during the ongoing ‘Parivartan Yatra’.

Speaking to the media, Sarma claimed that the yatra, which began on a bus, was marred by an internal dispute between Gaurav Gogoi and former APCC president Bhupen Borah. 

“APCC president Gaurav Gogoi started the ‘Parivartan Yatra’ on a bus and got into a fight with former APCC president Bhupen Borah. You can ask him whether it is true or not. Just yesterday, inside the bus itself, both were about to engage in a scuffle, and Jitendra Singh had to intervene to stop the fight,” Sarma alleged.

The Chief Minister said he was aware of the reason behind the alleged altercation but chose not to disclose it at present. He further accused Gogoi of poor organisational leadership, claiming that other Congress leaders were not even informed about the yatra’s itinerary. 

“This is how Gaurav Gogoi is doing ‘Parivartan’—by not telling his own party leaders about the programme,” Sarma said.

Sarma went on to claim that the Congress would struggle to manage its internal affairs till the elections. “I think till the time of the election, it will be hard for the Assam Congress to run its own party. They can do a ‘Parivartan Yatra’, but what is this yatra where they stop midway and directly go from Guwahati to Batadrava? Does that mean there are no supporters on the road?” he asked.

Taking a personal swipe at Gogoi, the Chief Minister also questioned his connection with his parliamentary constituency. “After becoming the Jorhat MP, how many nights has he spent in Jorhat? I think I have visited Jorhat more times than him. People are watching everything, and they will take the right decision,” Sarma said.

There was no immediate response from the Congress leadership to the Chief Minister’s allegations.