Guwahati: Congress leader Pawan Khera on Friday launched a sharp attack on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, accusing him of presiding over “large-scale corruption” and eroding the state’s cultural identity.
Khera said Assam’s global reputation, built by icons like Zubeen Garg, was being tarnished under the current government. “Assam was once known for tea, culture, and harmony. Today, it is associated with drugs, cattle smuggling, and corruption. Even the meaning of ‘ABCD’ has changed,” he remarked.
Accusing the BJP-led government of ignoring long-pending issues of tea garden workers, Khera said the chief minister had “misused power instead of solving people’s problems.”
He also claimed that outsiders were being brought into the state to manipulate the electoral process. “In the coming election, you may see buses and trains full of voters being mobilised. This is a direct attack on indigenous Assamese identity,” he warned.
Khera argued that Assam’s democratic and political identity was at stake, urging people to “protect the state’s future before it’s too late.”
The Congress spokesperson also projected APCC president Gaurav Gogoi as the face of a generational shift in Assam politics, drawing parallels with the development era under former chief minister Tarun Gogoi.
Sharpening his attack, Khera accused Sarma of being overly dependent on law enforcement agencies and the Election Commission. “Without support from the police and EC, he cannot move freely,” he alleged.
He further claimed that tribal lands in Assam were being handed over to corporate houses, including the Adani and Ambani groups. Demanding transparency, Khera asked the chief minister to disclose the wealth his family had accumulated over the past five to seven years.
Referring to past ED and CBI cases against Sarma, Khera questioned how they were “magically cleared” after the chief minister joined the BJP. “This is classic washing-machine politics,” he said.