AJP Chief Lurinjyoti Gogoi Holds CM Sarma Responsible as Woman Dies Post Govt Scheme Event in Nalbari

Nalbari: Grief and outrage have engulfed Budru Kuchi village in Nalbari district following the death of Sarala Devi, who collapsed during Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s event under the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan (popularly known as the Lakhpati Baideu Scheme). The 45-year-old woman, who had attended the programme to collect a cheque of ₹10,000, died while returning home on Friday.

On Tuesday, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) president Lurinjyoti Gogoi, along with MLA Monoranjan Talukdar, visited her family to offer condolences and demanded accountability for what they called “gross mismanagement” by the government.“What forced women like Sarala Devi to risk their lives for a cheque? The life of a person is far more valuable than ₹10,000. The Chief Minister must take responsibility,” Gogoi said, demanding justice, adequate compensation, and a thorough inquiry into the incident.

According to Gogoi, women from Self-Help Groups (SHGs) were pressured to attend the massive rally, with promises of travel allowance and threats of exclusion from government benefits. He alleged that even pregnant women were compelled to attend.

“When a venue meant for 15,000 is crammed with 40,000 people, suffocation and lack of oxygen are bound to happen. This is sheer negligence at the cost of lives,” Gogoi remarked.

He also criticised CM Sarma’s statement during the event that he had “never seen so many women in his life,” saying the Chief Minister had prioritised crowd size over safety. “Instead of staging a spectacle, cheques could have been distributed through SHG leaders in a safe and decentralised way. That would have avoided such tragedies,” he added.Gogoi further accused the BJP-led government of deliberately excluding names of women associated with opposition parties from the scheme’s beneficiary list. “This is people’s money, not the BJP’s. The government has no right to distribute it selectively,” he said.

Reports suggest that Sarala Devi began vomiting on her way home after feeling unwell at the event, and she later succumbed. “Her death is not just a personal tragedy; it is a collective shame. The government must compensate her family and ensure such incidents never happen again,” Gogoi stated.

The incident has sparked widespread concern, with civil society groups and opposition leaders calling for stronger safety measures at government events to protect citizens.