Assam CM sparks political storm with remark, Gogoi calls him unfit leader.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi addresses supporters in Assam amid a political storm following Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s controversial remarks (Photo: File)
GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday sparked a political storm after accusing state Congress president and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi of being a Pakistani agent allegedly 'planted by foreign power.'
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme, Sarma said, "Gaurav Gogoi is a Pakistani agent, he is purely that. He has been planted by foreign power in our country. The day I show the evidence, everybody will say that he is 100 per cent a Pakistani agent."
The Chief Minister challenged Gogoi to file a defamation case if the allegations were false. He, however, added that he would reveal the evidence only after the completion of the investigation into the death of singer-composer Zubeen Garg. "I am not convening a press conference now to share the evidence, as some will say the Zubeen Garg issue is being diverted," Sarma said. The BJP and Sarma have previously hinted at alleged 'Pakistani links' through Gogoi's British wife.
A day after the remarks, Gogoi hit back, terming Sarma's statements as proof that he was 'unfit to hold the position of Chief Minister.' In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gogoi wrote, "Over the past few months, Himanta Biswa Sarma dangoriya has lost credibility. Yesterday, when the entire state was watching Zubeen Garg perform for the last time in 'Roi Roi Binale,' the Chief Minister's comments showed his growing fear of losing power." He further said that the Chief Minister's comments were "an example of why he is unfit as the head of the Government of Assam."
Zubeen Garg, Assam's cultural icon, died on September 19 while swimming in the sea in Singapore. His death prompted an outpouring of grief across the state, leading the government to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the state CID to probe the circumstances. Garg's last movie, 'Roi Roi Bimale' (Tears Still Flow), was released to packed theatres across Assam and several Indian cities on Friday—the same day Sarma made his remarks.
