STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Congress on Monday strongly criticized Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma over his recent press conference, terming it a "propaganda exercise" and "cinema" staged ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
Addressing the media, Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi alleged that the Chief Minister's remarks were politically motivated and aimed at influencing voters barely 50-60 days before the polls. "Just weeks before the elections, the Chief Minister addressed a press conference. The BJP is doing propaganda, making cinema. Like Kerala Story or Vivek Agnihotri's Kashmir Files, the Assam CM also wants to create something similar," Bordoloi said.
Hitting back at the allegations against Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi over his visit to Pakistan, Bordoloi questioned the basis of the criticism. He pointed out that former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani visited Pakistan in 2005 and had praised Muhammad Ali Jinnah, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Lahore in 2015 and met then Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif. "Gaurav Gogoi's crime was to visit Pakistan. Various stories are being spread to portray him as a Pakistani agent. We all know the main aim behind this narrative," he said.
Bordoloi further alleged that the controversy was being used to divert attention from issues raised by the Congress during its 'Parivartan Yatra', particularly allegations that the Chief Minister's family had grabbed 12,000 bighas of land. "When the Congress exposed these matters, the Chief Minister responded with a fabricated story. These allegations are totally baseless," he claimed.
Congress MP Rakibul Hussain also criticized the Chief Minister, saying the allegations had "turned into a farce". He alleged that the accusations surfaced when Gogoi's name began gaining prominence as a potential state Congress president, and accused the Chief Minister of acting out of political insecurity.
Hussain further accused Sarma of making personal attacks on Gogoi's family, including his minor children. "We exercised restraint for a long time, but today we are responding. We did not initially seek legal recourse, but now that we feel unsafe, we are considering our options," he said.
The Congress indicated that it may approach the courts under child protection laws, questioning what wrongdoing could be attributed to Gogoi's children. Party leaders said they would soon seek legal advice before initiating proceedings under relevant child-related laws.
Also read: Assam: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reacts to Gaurav’s Statement