Written by Rupjyoti Mahanta
Bokajan: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Gaurav Gogoi criticized the BJP-led Assam government and the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing the ECI of losing its neutrality and becoming “a new member of the RSS-BJP Sangh family.”
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Speaking at a public meeting in Bokajan, Karbi Anglong on Thursday, Gogoi warned that this development threatens the democratic functioning of key institutions.
Gogoi urged Congress workers and leaders to unite and strengthen the party to overthrow what he described as the “fascist and corporate-friendly” BJP regime. He cautioned, “If we don’t unite now, their fascist rule will crush our Constitution, democracy, and the rights of common people.”
Taking aim at Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Gogoi accused the state government of prioritizing corporate interests, especially those of Adani and Ambani, while neglecting the struggles of poor and marginalized communities.
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“Wherever they want land, be it forest, protected, private, or Sixth Schedule land, they override all objections and evict poor settlers mercilessly. Is this how they protect Jati, Mati, and Bheti?” Gogoi questioned, referencing the BJP’s well-known cultural slogan.
He condemned recent eviction drives in Lakhimpur as “inhuman,” saying that the authorities did not spare even poor farmers and marginalized settlers.
Gogoi also launched a personal attack on Sarma and Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang, alleging they are accumulating vast personal wealth.
“In Dispur, it is Himanta Biswa Sarma Private Limited; in Karbi Anglong, it is Tuliram Ronghang Private Limited,” he said.
He further mocked Sarma’s family for owning a tea garden-cum-five-star resort near Kaziranga and accused Ronghang of building a “multi-crore Italian villa” in Diphu.
Contrasting their wealth with his late father and former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, he noted, “He served Assam for 15 years but didn’t accumulate a single tea garden, resort, or villa.”
Gogoi concluded by reaffirming the Congress party’s commitment to upholding constitutional values and restoring fairness in governance.
“The time has come to rise above internal differences and reclaim Assam from the clutches of corporate and fascist control,” he said.