Gaurav Gogoi accuses Himanta Biswa Sarma of ‘politics of fire’ in BTC campaign

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 17, 2025

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, accusing him of fomenting unrest in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) region for political gain.

Addressing an election rally at Koklabari, Gogoi alleged that the BJP government was undermining peace in Assam, particularly in BTC. “Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wants unrest in BTC. That is why he wants to play the politics of fire. We want to give scholarships to the children of Assam, but Himanta Biswa Sarma wants to lift guns and patronise violence,” Gogoi said.

He reminded the gathering that during the Congress regime, peace had begun to return to BTC through the Bodo Accord. “Now, only to safeguard his chair, the BJP government and CM Sarma want unrest in BTC and violence across Assam. The people must remain alert against this conspiracy,” he warned.

In a pointed criticism of the Chief Minister’s alleged misuse of power, Gogoi accused Sarma of amassing wealth in the name of his family while imposing burdens on ordinary citizens. “Workers, farmers, Majuli’s cultivators, and Kaziranga’s tea workers now have to pay a ‘Mummy Tax’,” Gogoi claimed, referring to what he described as exploitative policies.

He further alleged that regional allies like the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) and the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) were silent because “their remote controls are in Himanta Biswa Sarma’s hands.”

Gogoi mocked Sarma’s political manoeuvring with a dramatic claim about the Chief Minister’s communication style. “Himanta keeps three phones: with one, he calls Amit Shah, with another, he calls BPF leader Hagrama Mohilary, and with the third from his back pocket, he talks to UPPL’s Pramod Boro. He also keeps a secret phone so that if Congress comes to power and files are opened, he can switch sides to save himself,” Gogoi alleged.

The Congress leader emphasised the importance of protecting democratic rights through voting. “Every election is important. Every single vote matters. The future of your children and the performance of the government in the next five years are linked to this vote,” Gogoi told the crowd. He urged voters to listen carefully during rallies, discuss issues within their communities, and cast their votes wisely.

In an emotional moment, Gogoi recalled the legacy of his father and former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. “Even critics admit that after 2003, peace returned to Assam under Tarun Gogoi. Before his government, people were afraid to step out at night. He ended that fear not with guns but by uniting people politically and democratically,” he said.

He recounted how, during BTC elections, Tarun Gogoi had resisted calls to crush regional parties for political gain. “We do not do politics for power. We are Congress, a party born during the freedom struggle. We do politics to bring change in people’s lives,” he quoted his father as saying.

Concluding his speech, Gogoi accused the BJP of planning to arm youth for political advantage. “This is Himanta Biswa Sarma’s politics—arming the youth of Assam so they fight each other. But his own children will never be given guns; they will be sent abroad to study. It is the poor youths of backwards regions who will be handed weapons,” Gogoi alleged.

“A vote for the BJP means that someday we will see AK-47s in the hands of our boys and girls. A vote for the BJP means syndicates will use guns to threaten and extort money,” he warned.