Guwahati, January 24: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi on Friday mounted a blistering attack on the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led BJP government, branding it a regime of “vote thieves, land thieves, cattle thieves and water thieves,” while addressing a massive public rally at Hatikholia Ground, Moranjana, near Rangia.
Addressing nearly 20,000 supporters, Gogoi raised what he termed the central political question before the people of Assam—“Who is Himanta Biswa Sarma?”—and said the Congress must now directly reach out to the masses. He called for the immediate formation of small outreach teams comprising youth and women to go door-to-door and explain the current situation to people across communities.
Claiming that the BJP is facing internal turmoil over this question, Gogoi alleged that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is politically unstable, recalling his shifts from AASU to Congress and later to the BJP. Declaring that Sarma would never be welcomed back into the Congress, Gogoi said the party must draw a firm line against political opportunism.
Referring to Rahul Gandhi, Gogoi said the Congress leader has made it clear that once the party comes to power in Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma would be held accountable for corruption and misgovernance. He accused the Chief Minister of habitual lying and said Assam had never seen a Chief Minister as deceitful as the present one.
Gogoi alleged massive corruption under the BJP government, claiming that public debt has ballooned to ₹1.5 lakh crore, land has been handed over to big corporates at throwaway prices, and toll gates have mushroomed despite poor highway conditions. He also accused the BJP of using religion for politics while shielding those allegedly involved in cattle, coal, sand and stone syndicates.
On land issues, Gogoi alleged large-scale land brokerage by BJP leaders and claimed that key decisions, including highway diversions, were taken to benefit those close to power. He warned that if the BJP returns to office, land would be transferred to corporates and party leaders at the cost of common people.
The APCC president further accused the BJP of manipulating votes through government machinery and intimidating welfare beneficiaries. He asserted that unlike the BJP, the Congress does not mobilise crowds through money or threats and claimed growing public support for the party across Assam.
Promising clean governance, Gogoi said a Congress government would ensure corruption-free welfare schemes, recover illegally grabbed land, and conduct audits of alleged misuse of public funds.
The rally was also addressed by newly appointed APCC observer and former Jharkhand minister Bandhu Tirkey, AICC Secretary and APCC co-incharge Manoj Chauhan, Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi, Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia, Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain, former APCC president Ripun Bora, and several other senior Congress leaders, all expressing confidence that the Congress would return to power in Assam.
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