'He might settle abroad one day': Assam CM's fresh jibe at Gaurav Gogoi

Guwahati, June 6 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday renewed his political offensive against Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, taking a sarcastic dig at the latter’s family’s foreign citizenship status.  

Speaking during his visit to assess the flood situation in Sribhumi district, Sarma remarked, “In his family of four, three are British citizens. It’s a good thing that he visited Silchar to review the flood situation. Otherwise, any day, he might just decide to settle abroad.”

Taking the jibe further, the Chief Minister added with pointed sarcasm: “I genuinely wonder what the dinner table conversations are like in his family — where three members are British citizens and he’s the only Indian.”

The remarks are the latest in a series of barbs exchanged between the BJP and Congress leaderships in the run-up to upcoming political developments in the state.

Earlier, Sarma claimed that a significant portion of pro-Congress content on social media during the recent Panchayat polls in Assam originated from abroad.

“At least 50 per cent of the social media accounts supporting the Congress were operated from Pakistan, with a sizeable number based in Bangladesh as well. We have credible inputs, and the police will thoroughly investigate the matter,” Sarma said.

Sharpening his attack, the Chief Minister alleged that Pakistan's ISI was rooting for a specific individual to win elections in Assam, a veiled reference to Gogoi.

“These kinds of activities will only intensify as elections draw nearer. I have more information that I will reveal on September 10. Many Congress supporters are not even based in Indian territory,” he remarked.

Taking a dig at the Congress's diminishing influence, Sarma said the party has lost ground even among its traditional support base.

“During recent events led by the new Congress state chief, minority participation was abysmally low. In Lahorighat, where five lakh minority people live, only around 5,000 showed up for the Congress programme,” he claimed.

Sarma also drew a sharp contrast between his own political journey and that of Gaurav Gogoi.

“I was not born with a silver spoon. My father was not the Chief Minister of Assam. I have reached this position through hard struggle. Unlike others, every member of my family is an Indian citizen, whereas some have at least three British citizens in their family,” he said, referring to Gogoi.