Cabinet Minister Mallabaruah faces twin FIRs over alleged Garukhuti fund misuse

Guwahati/ Biswanath, July 1: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) Youth Wing has filed two separate FIRs—one in Guwahati and another in Biswanath—against Cabinet Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah, alleging corruption in the Garukhuti project.

In Guwahati, the Youth Congress unit lodged a complaint at the Bhangagarh Police Station, accusing the minister of diverting welfare funds meant for eligible beneficiaries to the families of influential leaders.

“To access benefits under schemes like Orunodoi, ordinary citizens must furnish proper documentation. But what about the families of ministers and leaders?” a Youth Congress member questioned at a press briefing after filing the FIR.

Criticising the government’s priorities, another member said, “Assam is reeling under a debt of over Rs 1 lakh crore. Youth unemployment and inflation are rampant. Instead of focusing on Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), our leaders are busy inflating their own ‘Gross Escalated Family Product’.”

The youth wing further accused several BJP leaders—who were formerly part of the Congress—of having admitted to wrongdoing during their tenure under the Tarun Gogoi-led government.

"These individuals created syndicates in the later years of Gogoi’s rule and have confessed to illegal activities. Today, they enjoy ministerial positions under Himanta Biswa Sarma, despite having once tainted the Congress government’s image," said Congress leader Deep Bayan. 

Meanwhile, in Biswanath, the district Youth Congress filed another FIR against Mallabaruah, accusing him of criminal misappropriation of public property, cheating, and corruption related to the procurement of Gir cows under the Garukhuti project.

Biswanath District Congress president Manash Jyoti Saikia demanded a probe into the alleged illegal activities carried out by the minister during his earlier stint in the Congress.

Separately, the Biswanath Chariali Press Club condemned the minister’s alleged derogatory remark about “lower rung” journalists and sought a public apology.

“We want to ask Mallabaruah whether he also doesn’t seek votes from the lower classes. His comments are not just insensitive but potentially divisive,” said Aamir Khan, General Secretary of the Press Club.

Earlier, on June 29, under mounting pressure to apologise, Urban Affairs Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah expressed "deep regret" on social media over his remarks directed at a journalist—comments that had triggered widespread condemnation and protests by media organisations across the state.

The controversy erupted during a press conference on Friday, when Mallabaruah, in a moment of visible frustration, referred to a journalist as a “tolor srenir manuh”—a phrase that loosely translates to “a person from the lower rung.”