Congress accuses CM Sarma of misrule, debt crisis & insensitivity for Zubeen Garg
At a Mandal workers’ meet, Assam Mahila Congress and senior party leaders launched scathing attacks on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
Diganta Barman at the Congress workers meet (AT Image)
Mukalmua, October 26: A workers’ meeting of the Narayanpur Sapkata Mandal Committee under Constituency No. 40 turned into a platform of strong political criticism against the present government, as top Congress leaders accused Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of pushing the state into debt and mishandling public sentiments surrounding late singer Zubeen Garg.
Assam Mahila Congress President Mira Barthakur, who attended the meet in Mukalmua, said the crowd turnout reflects growing anger against what she termed a “torturous” regime.
“The number of booth workers here today shows that our party is regaining strength. People are rising to get rid of this oppressive government,” Barthakur remarked.
Referring to the massive public affection for Zubeen Garg, Barthakur said the singer has now become a “cultural phenomenon far beyond a celebrity.”
“Zubeen Garg is no longer just Zubeen Garg, he has ascended to a place in the hearts of people that is no less than divine,” she said.
Taking direct aim at the Chief Minister, she accused Sarma of exploiting legal intimidation to silence criticism directed at his family.
“The Chief Minister is scared to even hear his wife’s name. Anyone who mentions her name faces defamation cases. But no one filed cases when Tarun Gogoi’s wife was criticised. The Chief Minister himself invites criticism by turning personal matters into political weapons,” she added.
Barthakur further alleged that the state’s financial situation has deteriorated under BJP rule.
“The government is drowning in debt. The Chief Minister has the audacity to compare Assam with states like Kerala and Bihar, but he has no vision of his own. He keeps mortgaging Congress-era assets to secure more loans. He is anxious and unbalanced and is worried about who will replace him, Sarbananda Sonowal or Dilip Saikia,” she claimed.
Speaking at the event, Barakheti MLA Diganta Barman mocked the Chief Minister's use of chartered flights.
“For his own personal trips, the Chief Minister flies on chartered planes. But when it came to bringing Zubeen Garg home, someone adored by 3 crore people, they put him on a regular Air India flight. That shows how little emotional regard they have,” Barman said.
He also criticised the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) restricting tributes at Zubeen Kshetra.
“Whenever we feel the need to pay tribute alongside Zubeen’s fans and family, we will do it. The Chief Minister never imagined how deeply loved Zubeen is in Assam. Now he reacts with restrictive SOPs instead of understanding people’s emotions,” he said.
The leaders claimed that the BJP government has “only five months left” and urged Congress workers to intensify grassroots mobilisation to ensure a change of government.