Nagaland Congress leader Rajesh Kumar Sethi, National Coordinator of the AICC Minority Department and Incharge of Manipur, has strongly condemned the “shameful and baseless” allegations made by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma against Gaurav Gogoi, the Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Sethi described the allegations as a “desperate and frustrated attempt” to defame a leader who has earned the trust of both the people of Assam and the nation.
The allegations were made by Sarma on Sunday, who claimed that Gogoi might be “trapped or blackmailed” in a larger “anti-India” conspiracy, expressing sympathy for the Congress leader. Sarma had also targeted Gogoi last week, demanding answers to allegations of ISI links, and accused Gogoi’s wife of having connections with Pakistan’s spy agency. Gogoi has firmly rejected these charges, calling them “false” and “laughable.”
Sethi criticized the BJP, saying the party, rattled by its declining influence in Assam, had stooped to the lowest levels of political discourse. He pointed to Congress’s victories in key Assam seats—Jorhat, Dhubri, and Nowgong—in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as evidence of rejection of BJP’s divisive politics. Sethi highlighted Gogoi’s landslide victory in Jorhat, where he won by a margin of 1,44,393 votes, as a direct repudiation of BJP’s tactics.
Sethi further accused Sarma of panic and desperation, citing the failures of his government, including rising joblessness, struggling industries such as tea and coal, corruption, and unfulfilled development promises. “Instead of addressing the people’s concerns, he is engaging in a smear campaign against Gaurav Gogoi,” Sethi said.
Senior Congress leaders, including Gogoi and AICC Minority Department Chairman Imran Pratapgarhi, have refuted Sarma’s allegations. Speaking at a media event organized by the Assam PCC Minority Department, both leaders condemned the smear campaign, calling it a diversion from Sarma’s government’s shortcomings. Pratapgarhi emphasized that Congress would not tolerate character assassination and legal action would be pursued against Sarma’s defamatory remarks.
Sethi reiterated the AICC Minority Department’s full support for Gogoi, stating, “We will not allow Assam’s politics to be dictated by lies, deceit, and propaganda. We stand in full solidarity with Shri Gogoi and urge all right-thinking citizens to reject this divisive politics.”
The Congress party has demanded an unconditional apology from Himanta Biswa Sarma for his comments.