Congress blasts CM Himanta Biswa Sarma over flood relief failure; demands national status for Assam floods

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 6, 2025

The Assam Congress on Friday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, calling him the “weakest and most corrupt Chief Minister” in the country for allegedly failing to secure adequate central assistance for flood-hit Assam.

The criticism came after a high-level Political Affairs Committee meeting of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) at Rajiv Bhawan, Guwahati, led by AICC general secretary Jitendra Singh and newly appointed APCC president Gaurav Gogoi.

Singh condemned the BJP’s “double-engine government” for its ineffective response, pointing out that while the state suffered damages worth over Rs 5,000 crore, the Centre sanctioned only Rs 50 crore in flood relief.

“Despite having the so-called ‘double engine’, Sarma has failed to advocate for Assam. He is more concerned with pleasing the Centre than protecting the interests of his people,” Singh said.

He also accused the BJP of making hollow promises, especially the unfulfilled pledge to make Assam flood-free, which he said was merely an electoral gimmick.

APCC president Gaurav Gogoi demanded that floods and river erosion in Assam be declared national problems, citing the Centre’s consistent indifference.

“With the Prime Minister’s visit approaching, the Centre must immediately release pending flood relief. Assam can’t keep waiting while its people suffer,” Gogoi stated.

The Congress passed key resolutions at the meeting, including a decision to contest the upcoming Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) elections aggressively, and fight the BJP’s divisive politics head-on.

Other major concerns raised included allegations of corruption and cronyism involving the Chief Minister and his family, syndicate raj, rising public debt, and targeted welfare schemes and the failure to fully implement the Assam Accord and politically motivated handling of the NRC process.

The meeting also condemned the recent deportation drive, accusing the state government of falsely identifying Indian citizens as illegal immigrants and dumping them at the border without due process.

“This is unconstitutional and communal. People are being used as pawns to serve a political narrative,” party leaders said.

The Congress reaffirmed its stand: illegal foreigners must be deported, but genuine Indian citizens must not be harassed or wrongfully detained.

Looking forward, the party discussed its vision for a self-reliant Assam, focusing on agriculture, dairy, fisheries, poultry, and tourism as engines of local development.

A condolence resolution was passed for former minister and four-time MLA Sukur Ali Ahmed, and a moment of silence was observed for victims of the recent floods.

Prominent Congress leaders present included Bhupen Bora, Debabrata Saikia, Rakibul Hussain, Ripun Bora, Abdul Khaleque, and AICC secretaries Prithviraj Sathe, Manoj Chauhan, and Vikas Upadhyay.