Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, accusing him of trying to divert public attention from key issues and of preparing to bring in voters from outside the state before the next Assembly elections. Gogoi was speaking to reporters at Bishwanath Chariali during a party meeting.
Gogoi said that even though some names of those involved in singer Zubeen Garg’s murder were mentioned in the Assembly by the Chief Minister, the real mastermind behind the crime has still not been revealed. He said people across Assam, especially in villages, no longer believe that justice will be delivered in the case. He accused the Chief Minister of making confusing statements to mislead the public.
Responding to questions about the alleged “Pakistan link” in the case, Gogoi said the Chief Minister had failed to keep his promises. He reminded that on September 10, Sarma had told journalists that the SIT report would be made public, at a time when Zubeen Garg was still alive. Gogoi said the report was not released then and has still not been released now. He claimed even BJP members feel uncomfortable with the Chief Minister’s statements, and that national leaders “laugh” when they hear him speak. 
Gogoi also expressed concern about recent steps taken by the Election Commission, which he said appear to favour the BJP. He said the Congress party has increased vigilance at the booth level and has activated Block Level Agents to prevent any attempt at vote manipulation. According to him, the Chief Minister is trying to include names of BJP supporters from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in Assam’s voter list to secure his position. He said this has already caused resentment among various groups, including youth, villagers, and women across the state.
He said that representatives of Assam must always be elected by the people of Assam, and warned that the Chief Minister is focusing on “fake voter lists” because he fears losing power. Gogoi urged Congress workers, opposition parties, and the general public to stay alert so that RSS workers from outside the state do not enter the electoral rolls in the coming months.
At the district booth committee meeting held the same day, former APCC president Ripun Bora said that the BJP has not done anything meaningful for Assam in the past decade. He said the ruling party has no development issues to speak of and is now trying to create divisions along religious lines.
Former APCC chief Bhupen Bora also spoke at the event. He said that Assam has always been built on harmony, from the time of Chaolung Sukapha to the cultural contributions of Srimanta Sankardev. He said icons like Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, Bishnu Prasad Rabha, Bhupen Hazarika, and Zubeen Garg helped shape an inclusive Assam that cannot be broken by the BJP. He alleged that the party is now trying to divide even the people who stood united during Zubeen Garg’s final days. Bora said the people of Assam will not allow such attempts to succeed.
