“I will not visit Zubeen Kshetra until the elections are over,” says Himanta Biswa Sarma

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday, February 22, accused the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) of indulging in politics in the name of Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg, asserting that his government had consciously refrained from politicising the late singer’s legacy since his death.

Sarma said the Zubeen Kshetra memorial should never be used as a political platform and criticised Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for visiting the memorial during her recent trip to the state. Referring to her remarks, the Chief Minister said she had admitted that she did not know much about Zubeen Garg prior to her visit.

“If she did not know him earlier, why did she visit now—only for the sake of votes?” Sarma questioned.

He further alleged that Gandhi visited the memorial only briefly while she was in Assam for party-related engagements.

“She came to Assam for party activities and went to Zubeen Kshetra for just two minutes. If she had come only to visit the memorial, that would have been something else,” he said.

Highlighting his government’s role in developing the memorial, Sarma stated that he, along with ministers Keshab Mahanta and Bimal Bora, personally supervised the creation of Zubeen Kshetra. He said they visited the site multiple times a day and undertook extensive groundwork, including clearing trees and developing infrastructure, to ensure that people could pay tribute to the singer with dignity.

The Chief Minister also said several BJP leaders, including Kiren Rijiju and Jyotiraditya Scindia, had contributed to preserving Zubeen Garg’s legacy. He added that around 12,000 BJP workers donated blood on the occasion of the singer’s last birthday and questioned whether Congress had organised any similar initiative.

Announcing that BJP leaders would refrain from visiting the memorial until after the elections, Sarma said this was to prevent allegations of political misuse.

“I will not visit the Zubeen Kshetra until the elections are over. If God wills, I will go there only after becoming Chief Minister again, so that people cannot say BJP did politics in Zubeen’s name,” he said, accusing Congress leaders of openly politicising the singer’s legacy.

The remarks come a day after Lurinjyoti Gogoi, president of the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), raised concerns over the delay in the investigation into Zubeen Garg’s death.

Addressing a press conference, Gogoi noted that five months had passed since the singer’s death and recalled that the Chief Minister had earlier termed the incident a “murder” on the floor of the Assembly, alleging that one individual committed the crime while others aided it.

Gogoi questioned why a fast-track court had not been constituted and why no decisive action had been taken to ensure punishment for the accused. He alleged that the delay appeared deliberate and asked whether the government feared that bail might be granted to those arrested.

He also criticised both the Chief Minister and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for not visiting Zubeen Kshetra despite multiple visits to Assam, calling it neglect and disrespect toward the cultural icon.

The AJP chief further alleged that Zubeen Garg’s photograph was excluded from a recent state film awards ceremony and announced that the party would launch an agitation on February 27 demanding justice for the late singer.