Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Apr 5: The Congress leader Rahul Gandhi n Sunday compared his party’s values and ideologies with the life of Assam’s celebrated singer and noted musician Zubeen Garg while attacking Mr Himanta Biswa Sarma as the “most corrupt chief minister” who fancies himself as “mini-Modi.”
Addressing public rallies in Biswanath, Karbi Anglong and Jorhat district in poll-bound Assam, Mr Gandhi said the Congress believed in unity and harmony, much like Garg’s lifelong efforts to bring people together in the state. Highlighting his party’s approach, Gandhi said, “Zubeen Garg worked his entire life to unite people of Assam, he never misbehaved with anyone. The Congress philosophy is also like that, to spread love against hatred.”
He alleged that the current BJP-led government in Assam was fostering division among communities. According to Gandhi, such politics was against the spirit of unity that leaders and cultural figures like Garg have stood for.
Launching a sharp attack on Mr Sarma, Mr Gandhi said the current Assam government was the most corrupt state administration in the country and warned Mr Sarma of legal action if the Congress came to power in the state after the elections. Intensifying his criticism of the Chief Minister Sarma, Gandhi remarked, “Let him speak for some more days. After that, the Congress will form a government in Assam and legal action will follow even if he asks for forgiveness.” He said not only Mr Sarma but corruption allegations against his family would be investigated, and action would be taken accordingly.
The Congress leader alleged that Mr Sarma, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has created a “land ATM” to snatch land from the public to give it to a few big industrialists. Mr Gandhi claimed that three big corporate houses have been handed over a total of 98,400 bighas of land in Assam. “It is a land-grabbing syndicate in Assam. But they don’t get land for free. These corporates are the financing machine of the BJP,” he alleged.
Raking up India’s trade pact with the U.S., the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha claimed it was a loss for New Delhi as taxes on American goods were lowered and the Indian market was opened to them. “Donald Trump controls Narendra Modi due to the Epstein files. There are 35 lakh unreleased files. Trump knows Modi’s hidden facts,” he claimed. Mr Gandhi alleged that the agriculture sector has been opened to U.S. corporations, and the country was dictating India’s purchase of crude oil.
He said the Prime Minister capitulated to the U.S. for the recent trade deal. “First, he opened India’s agricultural system for American farmers. No Prime Minister did it before. Soybean, lentils, fruits, cotton – Modi opened all of these for American farmers. Indian farmers own small fields and use small-scale mechanisation. They will be destroyed because the farmers in the U.S. have large fields with a high level of mechanisation,” he said.
The Congress leader said Mr Modi handed energy security over to the U.S. to an extent that India cannot buy oil from Russia, Iran, and Iraq without seeking Mr Trump’s permission. “Narendra Modi has also handed over all data to Trump. The deal says India will have to purchase 9 lakh crore worth of goods from the U.S. This will devastate small industrialists and traders in India,” he claimed.
Mr Gandhi also asserted that Congress believes in decentralisation, while the BJP is trying to run Assam from Delhi.
Meanwhile, Mr Sarma has pointed out what he called “anomalies” in the Congress claims related to his wife’s passport. Sarma also said he and his wife would sue Congress’s Pawan Khera who made the claims at a press conference.
Sarma, in a post on social media platform X, pointed out six anomalies, that included mismatch in name, UAE ID, and nationality. He said it was a “crude and poorly executed attempt at digital manipulation.” “Truth will prevail. Those spreading misinformation will be held accountable. I am confident that Pawan Khera’s campaign of falsehood is nearing its end. Eventually Mr Khera will go to Jail,” he added in the post.
In an earlier post, said: “Today’s press conference by Pawan Khera reflects the deep frustration and panic within the Congress party. As Assam moves decisively towards a historic mandate, such desperate and baseless attacks only expose their sinking ground. I categorically reject every allegation made by him. These are malicious, fabricated, and politically motivated lies aimed at misleading the people of Assam.”
Earlier in the day, the Congress had alleged that Sarma’s wife possessed passports of three countries and that he concealed information about her properties. At a press conference, Khera had presented documents purported to support the allegations and demanded that the Election Commission cancel his nomination for concealing information in his poll affidavit. Khera said Assam Chief Minister Sarma and his wife “have faced numerous allegations over time — such as land grabbing, misappropriation of temple donations, siphoning off government subsidies.”
“Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, the wife of the Assam Chief Minister, holds three passports,” he alleged. Khera claimed that she has a passport from the UAE, which was issued on March 14, 2022 and expires on March 13, 2027. The second passport in her name is from Antigua and Barbuda, which was issued from August 26, 2021, and expires on August 25, 2031. The third is from Egypt which was issued on February 13, 2022 and expires on February 12, 2029, he alleged.
“Himanta Biswa Sarma’s entire politics is predicated on hatred against Muslims; yet, his wife holds passports from two Muslim countries,” Khera alleged. “Are they making preparations to flee the country in the event of an electoral defeat?” Khera expressed the apprehension. Khera also alleged that Sarma’s wife owned two properties in Dubai and a company based in Wyoming, USA. But these were not disclosed in his election-time affidavit.
