Pawan Khera slams Assam CM: ‘He won’t return to power, he’ll go to jail’

Congress leader Pawan Khera on November 28 sharply criticised Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s announcement that a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would be implemented in the state after the next elections. 

Responding to Sarma’s remarks, Khera claimed that the Chief Minister “will not return to power” and alleged that “he will go to jail”, suggesting that Sarma was making promises despite being aware of his future “realities”.

Khera went on to unleash a broader attack on the Sarma government, alleging widespread corruption that he said has tarnished Assam’s global identity. He lamented that the state, once known for its tea, culture and icons like Zubeen Garg, is now being linked to drugs, cattle smuggling and corruption — remarking that “ABCD ka matlab badal gaya hai”. 

He accused the government of failing to address the long-pending concerns of tea garden workers and of misusing state machinery for political gains.

The Congress leader further alleged that the ruling dispensation is attempting to influence the electoral process by bringing in people from outside the state to manipulate voters’ lists. 

He warned that the upcoming polls may witness “bus aur train mein bhar bhar ke voters” being mobilised to weaken the electoral strength of indigenous Assamese communities, stressing that Assam’s political identity was under threat. He urged citizens to safeguard their democratic rights in the face of such attempts.

Khera also remarked that the emergence of Gaurav Gogoi reflects a new generational leadership for the state, drawing a comparison to the developmental era under former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. Intensifying his criticism, he accused the Sarma government of transferring tribal land to major corporate houses and demanded transparency regarding the wealth allegedly amassed by the Chief Minister’s family over the past 5–7 years. 

He also questioned the closure of earlier ED and CBI cases after Sarma joined the BJP, calling it another example of “washing machine politics”.