'Himanta is modern-day Jinnah, my father used to say': Gaurav Gogoi amid legacy row

In a sharp escalation of political rhetoric, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday invoked the legacy of his father, former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, to launch a scathing attack on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Responding to recent remarks by Sarma, Gaurav said, “My father used to say, Himanta Biswa Sarma is the modern incarnation of Jinnah.”

The statement comes after CM Sarma made personal insinuations about Gaurav Gogoi and his family while addressing reporters. In a veiled reference, Sarma had said, “I have only one request for him (Gaurav Gogoi), with folded hands — to let the grandchildren of Tarun Gogoi remain Assamese and Indian. The news that I am getting is somewhat strange. But I pray to God that Gaurav Gogoi tells reporters that his children are Indian citizens and they both are Assamese and that the CM is telling lies. I don’t like the CM and that he is a bad person. If he tells these simple lines, I will be very happy even if it proves me wrong.”

In response, Gaurav Gogoi, the Lok Sabha MP from Kaliabor, wrote, “The Chief Minister of Assam seems very concerned about the legacy of late Tarun Gogoi. Let me remember what my father used to say: ‘Himanta Biswa Sarma is the modern incarnation of Jinnah.’”

Gaurav Gogoi has been vocally critical of CM Sarma’s governance style and political conduct in recent months, often accusing him of abandoning the inclusive policies once supported under Tarun Gogoi’s tenure.

Tarun Gogoi, who served as Assam’s Chief Minister for three consecutive terms from 2001 to 2016, had initially brought Sarma into key ministerial positions during the Congress regime. However, Sarma defected to the BJP in 2015 after falling out with the party leadership — a political shift that played a significant role in the BJP’s rise to power in Assam.

Also Read: Every Assamese will back Bharat in war against Pakistan: Himanta Biswa Sarma