Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: Lending full credence to soulful singer Zubeen Garg's own statement, 'I'm Kangchenjunga', Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said that the truth behind the demise of the heartthrob of Assam should come to the fore at all costs.
Landing at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (LGBIA) at Borjhar around 1:30 PM on a special flight, Rahul Gandhi headed straight to Sonapur and paid tribute to Zubeen Garg at the site where his last rites were performed. He offered a 'gamosa' and a floral wreath at the cremation site amid the shouting of slogans like 'Justice for Zubeen and Jai Zubeen'.
Gandhi and other Congress leaders attended the 'naam prasanga' (prayers) held there. He also planted a 'nahor' sapling, one of Zubeen Garg's favourite trees, near the site.
From Sonapur, Rahul Gandhi went straight to Kahilipara, where he met Zubeen Garg's family members - wife Garima Saikia Garg, father Mohini Mohan Barthakur and others - and offered condolences.
Speaking to the media later, Rahul Gandhi said it was heartbreaking to visit the family under such tragic circumstances. He said, "I mentioned to the family that I would have liked to come under better circumstances, happier circumstances. When I was 17 years old, I went for a mountaineering course in Sikkim. And every day when we would go for training, I would see Mount Kanchenjunga in front of us. And what I liked about the mountain was that it was honest, transparent, unshakeable and beautiful. Today, while I was coming, Gaurav (Gogoi) said that Zubeen ji said that he was Kanchenjunga, and immediately I connected with the phrase that he was Kanchenjunga because he had the qualities of Kanchenjunga... Zubeen ji was like Kanchenjunga - honest, unshakeable, and beautiful. It's a tragedy that the whole state has faced. I spoke to the family, and they only said one thing to me: that we have lost our Zubeen, and all we want is that the truth should be clear... It is the duty of the government to quickly investigate what has happened, transparently investigate what has happened, and tell the family exactly what happened in Singapore..."
Rahul Gandhi said, "You can see the worth of a person in their house. Assam should be extremely proud that he had such humility. His father's guidance and support helped Zubeen give a voice to this wonderful state. We all thank him, the family, and of course, Zubeen Ji for what they have done, not just for Assam, but for the entire country."
Rahul Gandhi added that he and the Congress party stand ready to support the family in any way possible. He also extended his condolences to the people of Assam, describing the loss as a "cruel blow", and called for prompt justice. "We want transparency and justice. The sooner justice is served, the better it is for everyone," he said.
When asked if he would demand Bharat Ratna for Zubeen Garg, Gandhi said, "I don't want to digress. I don't want to take the discussion away from offering condolences, from telling the people of Assam that we love Zubeen Garg. We want to honour him. But first, we want transparency and justice. What happened in Singapore? Everybody in Assam should know it. And the sooner it happens, the better it is."
Right from the airport, APCC president Gaurav Gogoi, AICC general secretary and Assam in-charge Jitendra Singh, Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia and other senior state leaders of the party accompanied Rahul Gandhi.
Also Read: Zubeen Garg's death case: Singapore police suspects no ‘foul play’ in preliminary investigation