Himanta tears into Akhil Gogoi for ‘milking Zubeen Garg’s death for politics’

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on October 6 launched a scathing attack on Sivasagar MLA and Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi, accusing him of politicising the death of cultural icon Zubeen Garg. 
The Chief Minister said Gogoi’s sudden display of concern was politically motivated and not out of genuine admiration for the late artist.

Speaking to reporters, Sarma said, “We have never seen Akhil Gogoi as a fan of late Zubeen Garg. Has anyone ever seen him post anything about Zubeen’s songs? Any record of him attending Zubeen’s functions till date? This is nothing but politics — and doing politics with a dead person is awful.”

The Chief Minister further drew parallels between Akhil Gogoi and event manager Shyamkanu Mahanta, both of whom have demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into Garg’s death in Singapore. 

“Both their demands are the same — a CBI and NIA enquiry. But these demands are not about justice; they are about creating political noise,” Sarma said.

He also took a swipe at social media narratives surrounding the singer’s death, alleging that two distinct groups were leading the online discourse. “On social media today, two groups are mourning Zubeen’s death — one consists of his true fans, and the other is trying to pull down the BJP in the name of Zubeen Garg. Many among them have never even listened to his songs in their entire life,” the Chief Minister remarked.

Zubeen Garg, one of Assam’s most beloved musicians, passed away under mysterious circumstances in Singapore, prompting widespread grief and speculation across the state. While the Singapore authorities have completed a postmortem and handed over the report to his wife, Garima Saikia, the Assam government has maintained that any decision regarding public disclosure of the report will rest with her.

Sarma’s remarks come amid growing political noise over the investigation, with several opposition figures demanding a central probe into the circumstances surrounding Garg’s death.