The political face-off between Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi intensified on Thursday with Sarma accusing Gandhi of provoking fresh violence during an eviction drive in a reserve forest in Goalpara district in the state.
Speaking to reporters at the BJP office in Guwahati, Sarma claimed that Rahul Gandhi, during a Congress state-level meeting with party workers in Chaygaon on Wednesday, encouraged “encroachers” and “land jehadis” to illegally occupy government land.
“He said they would be rehabilitated on the same forest land and given houses, but he doesn’t realise you cannot settle people on forest land,” Sarma said.
The Chief Minister alleged that Congress leader’s comments misled evicted families, who clashed with police during a fresh eviction operation in the morning. The situation turned violent when protesters allegedly pelted stones and attacked police with weapons.
Police responded with gunfire, resulting in injuries to 21 police personnel. One alleged encroacher died in the firing, while two others are currently undergoing treatment.
Police have registered a case, and Sarma said Rahul Gandhi’s speech will be reviewed.
“If Rahul Gandhi or Mallikarjun Kharge are found to have incited this violence through their speeches, the police will take action,” he warned.
Rahul Gandhi had arrived in Assam a day earlier to address a major Congress gathering in Chaygaon. The meeting brought together senior leaders, MPs, MLAs, district officials and booth-level workers from across the state.
Addressing the crowd, the Congress leader launched a scathing attack on Sarma, accusing him of behaving more like a king than an elected leader. He praised Congress grassroots workers as the sher aur sherni (lions and lionesses) of Assam, declaring, “You are the brave ones who will fight for Assam’s future.”
He accused the Chief Minister of favouring big industrialists while neglecting ordinary people.
“Behind all his big claims, there is fear in his voice, because he knows the Babbar Sher of Congress will send him to jail one day. Even Modi ji won’t be able to save him,” Rahul Gandhi said, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.
He also alleged that the BJP, with help from a “compromised” Election Commission, is deleting the names of poor and farmer voters from Assam’s electoral rolls.
His visit comes at a crucial time, as the Congress attempts to revive its organisation in Assam ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. The party recently appointed Jorhat MP and Lok Sabha Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi as the new state president, replacing Bhupen Kumar Borah.
Since February, Sarma has escalated his attacks on Gogoi, accusing him of links with Pakistan’s ISI, allegations Gogoi has strongly denied.
In March, an SIT from Assam Police visited Delhi to investigate Gogoi’s wife Elizabeth’s professional work with Pakistani climate policy expert Ali Tauqeer Sheikh. Gogoi has rejected the charges as politically motivated and had said that the project was part of a legitimate South Asian climate initiative.
Recently, Sarma also claimed that nearly 1,000 Facebook accounts based in Pakistan and Bangladesh are under investigation for allegedly trying to influence Assam’s political landscape ahead of the elections.
Taking another dig at the Gandhis, Sarma pointed out that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized several properties linked to Robert Vadra, Rahul Gandhi’s brother-in-law.
With both sides sharpening their rhetoric, Assam’s political battle lines are now clearly drawn as the state moves toward the 2026 polls.
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