Gaurav Gogoi can contest in Pakistan: Himanta Sarma asserts BJP's victory in Assam polls

Himanta Biswa Sarma

The political atmosphere in Assam is heating up with leaders issuing strong statements as the state heads to polls early next year.

Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday took a jibe at Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, saying that the latter would “hundred per cent lose” the upcoming Assam state assembly elections, and after losing, he can contest elections in Pakistan.

While speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Chamata in Nalbari district, the CM asserted that the BJP will sweep the assembly polls in Assam next year, news agency PTI reported.

While responding to Gogoi’s earlier comments on the political climate in the state that the situation in the Northeastern state was different from Bihar, where the BJP-led NDA registered a landslide victory in the recently concluded assembly polls, Sarma said, “Assam is Assam and we will make a clean sweep in the assembly elections. He (Gogoi) will hundred per cent lose the polls in Assam, and then he can contest the elections in Pakistan.”

He further accused the Congress of “doing politics” over legendary Assamese singer Zubeen Garg’s death to “protect Miyas (Muslims)”.

“When Zubeen was alive, they (Congress) were not concerned about him. The Congress began speaking about him after his death, to save the ‘Miyas’,” he claimed.

“Have Muslims put up Zubeen’s photograph in any mosque? But, Hindus have honoured him at Durga Puja pandals and other festivals, including the just-concluded Ras Mahotsav. People are now realising the truth. There is no point in fighting us on these issues, as we have the moral courage to tell the truth. We do not do politics with emotion but with hard work,” Sarma said.