‘File a case if you dare’: Assam CM challenges Congress over ‘Pakistani agent’ remark on Gaurav Gogoi
Jorhat: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday dared the Congress to initiate legal proceedings against him for repeatedly calling Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi a “Pakistani agent,” asserting that he stood by his remarks and was ready to defend them in court.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a government programme in Jorhat, Sarma said the Congress was free to file a defamation case or lodge a police complaint if it believed his statements were false.
“If they have the courage, they should file a case against me. I will face it,” the chief minister said.
Sarma alleged that his remarks were not political rhetoric but based on what he described as facts that would be made public at an appropriate time.
He claimed that information relating to Gogoi’s alleged Pakistan links would be disclosed in February and maintained that the truth would eventually come out. “If it is true, it will be proven. If it is false, it will also be proven,” he said.
The chief minister made the remarks after distributing financial assistance to around 37,000 women beneficiaries under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita Yojana in the Titabor–Teok area, where eligible women received cheques of ₹10,000 each.
Hinting at early Assembly elections in Assam, Sarma said the possibility of polls being held before Bohag Bihu could not be ruled out.
He said candidates had already been finalised in constituencies where there was only one aspirant, while seats with multiple claimants would see selections based on winnability.
Sarma also made it clear that recent entrants to the BJP should not expect tickets, as priority would be given to workers who had been active on the ground for the past five years.
The chief minister also launched a sharp attack on the Congress, describing it as a “dark chapter” in Assam’s political history, and accused the party of encouraging illegal settlement of what he referred to as the “Miya community” in the state.
Reacting to comments by Raijor Dal leader Lurinjyoti Gogoi, Sarma said honouring Syama Prasad Mookerjee was not a challenge for the BJP.
He added that if Lurinjyoti Gogoi severed ties with the Congress-led alliance, the BJP would “install his statue in front of the party office.”
Sarma further claimed that Lurinjyoti Gogoi had no independent political identity and merely followed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Sarma also dismissed repeated statements made by Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi, saying the BJP did not believe in making “aimless remarks” and functioned with faith in democratic and constitutional processes.
