‘Congress asked me to meet Maulanas’: Assam CM hits back at Pawan Khera over Dhaka cleric photo

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on February 11, hit back at Congress leader Pawan Khera over a social media post sharing a photograph of him with a Bangladesh-based cleric, describing the move as “a case of the arrow boomeranging back”.

Khera had posted on X a purported image of Sarma with a cleric associated with Chistia Saidia Darbar Sharif in Dhaka, alleging links to a pro-Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami-led formation and raising questions about the circumstances of the meeting. He asked: “If there was nothing suspicious about it, why was it not disclosed proactively?”

Responding on X, Sarma wrote: “Shri @Pawankhera ji is publicly sharing my photo with a Maulana. This is actually a case of the arrow boomeranging back.” He added that “the same Maulana had come to the residence of the respected Tarun Gogoi ji when he was Chief Minister, and had also met his son Gaurav Gogoi.”

The Chief Minister further claimed that during his years in the Congress, he was frequently asked to meet various “Maulanas”, suggesting this was among the reasons he eventually left the party. Sarma quit the Congress in 2015 and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, citing ideological differences.

The exchange comes amid escalating attacks between the ruling BJP and the Congress ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.

Earlier, Sarma had levelled serious allegations against Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, claiming that his wife had links to Pakistan-based individuals. Gogoi dismissed the charges as “mindless and bogus points”.

Sarma announced that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the alleged links would be transferred to a central agency. On X, he described the move as a “significant step in unearthing a global nexus to destabilise India by Pakistan and its proxy players”.

“Today marks a significant step in unearthing a global nexus to destabilise India by Pakistan and its proxy players,” Sarma wrote, alleging a “deep conspiracy” involving a Pakistani national and environmental activism as a front. He further claimed that Gogoi had, “directly or indirectly”, facilitated elements of this network.

Gogoi responded sharply, accusing the Chief Minister of dragging his family into the controversy. “He went to such a low level that he even disclosed information relating to my children,” he said, adding that Sarma had “proved that he is not the right person to be in the Chief Minister’s chair”. He also demanded that the SIT report be made public.

The Congress MP alleged that members of Sarma’s family illegally hold 12,000 bighas — nearly 4,000 acres — of land across Assam. He agreed to cooperate with the SIT but questioned the timing of the allegations, asking why the Chief Minister had been “sitting idle for the last six months” if national security was at stake.

On Tuesday, Sarma filed a defamation suit seeking Rs 500 crore in damages against Gaurav Gogoi, AICC general secretary Jitendra Singh, and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, accusing them of making “false” and “malicious” allegations.

With the Assembly polls approaching, the confrontation has moved beyond policy differences to personal and legal battles, signalling a bruising contest in the months ahead.