STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Senior Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) leader and former MLA Debabrata Saikia paid tribute to celebrated Assamese artiste Zubeen Garg on his first death anniversary and renewed his demand for a transparent and credible investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
Saikia said Garg was not merely an artiste but had become "the voice, emotion and identity of Assam", adding that his physical absence remained difficult for people to accept.
On the occasion, Saikia questioned whether the people of Assam had been informed of the complete truth surrounding Garg's death. He said he had, from the beginning, demanded a CBI investigation under judicial supervision, an all-party committee of the Assam Legislative Assembly and a transparent investigation through the Gauhati High Court.
Referring to the judicial commission headed by Justice Sumitra Saikia, Saikia said the government had tasked the commission with examining allegations of negligence and conspiracy within six months. However, he questioned why the commission's tenure had been extended instead of its findings being made public.
"People of Assam now want to know what has emerged from the investigation," Saikia said.
He also referred to repeated statements by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inside and outside the Assembly regarding allegations of murder and conspiracy. Saikia questioned why Garg had not yet received justice despite the Special Investigation Team (SIT) submitting a chargesheet reportedly running into around 12,000 pages.
Saikia further raised concerns over the progress of infrastructure development at Zubeen Khetra, saying the work had not been completed despite expectations of speedy execution. He said reports about the poor condition of Garg's final resting place amid dust and rain had raised questions over the alleged neglect of the late artiste. On Garg's first death anniversary, Saikia urged the state government to ensure justice for the artiste at the earliest and expedite the construction and development work at Zubeen Khetra.
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