"I didn’t lose patience": Rejaul Sarkar hits back at Congress leader Debabrata Saikia

Former minority leader Rejaul Karim Sarkar launched a sharp counterattack against Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia, accusing senior party leaders of ideological betrayal and asserting that their repeated public statements ultimately compelled him to sever ties with the party.

Reacting to Saikia’s remark that Sarkar should have exercised patience following his controversial comments soon after joining the Congress, Sarkar said the charge was misplaced and politically motivated. Speaking to the media in Bongaigaon district, Sarkar rejected the allegation outright and accused Saikia of repeatedly targeting him despite the Pradesh Congress leadership having already responded to the issue.

“I have not lost my patience. It is Debabrata Saikia who has lost his patience. Even after the Pradesh Congress president had made his position clear, Debabrata Saikia attacked me for the third time. It is he who lacks patience,” Sarkar said.

Escalating his criticism, Sarkar alleged that Saikia’s remarks echoed the BJP’s political narrative and contributed to internal disorder within the Congress. “Debabrata Saikia has spoken in the language of the BJP. I am not his stooge, nor do I act or move according to his instructions,” he added.

Sarkar further said that statements made by Assam Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia and Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi had caused him “moral and ideological pain,” damaging both his political motivation and public image. According to Sarkar, the public positioning of senior leaders on recent controversies made it impossible for him to continue in the party with dignity.

These remarks come in the backdrop of Sarkar’s resignation from the Congress, formalised through a letter dated January 14, 2026, addressed to Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi. In the letter, Sarkar said he had joined the Congress inspired by its secular outlook, inclusive ideology, and stated commitment to constitutional values.

However, he expressed deep disappointment over what he described as the party leadership’s failure to uphold those principles. Sarkar alleged that the repeated statements and political posture adopted by senior leaders contradicted the party’s foundational values, leaving him alienated within days of his induction.