Congress claims ‘powerful force’ behind Zubeen Garg murder, questions CM's role

Biswanath, Nov 25: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), on Tuesday, launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, alleging political interference in the probe into the death of cultural icon Zubeen Garg.

At a district review meeting organised by the party in Biswanath Chariali, senior Congress leaders, including APCC president Gaurav Gogoi and former state presidents Ripun Bora and Bhupen Kumar Bora, alleged that a “powerful and invisible force” is behind Garg’s murder and accused the Chief Minister of withholding crucial information despite speaking in the Assembly.

Gogoi questioned the manner in which the Chief Minister hinted at a mastermind behind the killing while the Special Investigation Team (SIT) is yet to file its chargesheet.

“We will wait for a few days to see if the SIT reveals the truth, but the Chief Minister did not disclose everything in the Assembly,” Gogoi said.

He added, “The accused named so far are not the only culprits. There is a powerful person directing events from behind the scenes, and that information has not been made public.”

Gogoi further claimed that public trust in the Chief Minister was eroding.

“Poeple in villages will themselves tell you they do not believe the Chief Minister will ensure justice. Knowing his credibility is declining, he is trying to create confusion,” he said.

Former APCC president Ripun Bora also questioned Sarma’s public remarks on the probe.

“How did the Chief Minister speak as if he is part of the SIT? If he already knows everything, why was the SIT formed? We now doubt whether the investigation is free from influence,” he asked.

Bhupen Borah said Garg’s death has united people across the state and that the Congress represented that sentiment.

“Himanta Biswa Sarma does not have the courage to divide the people who took to the streets after Zubeen Garg’s death,” he said.

Gogoi also accused the BJP-led government of attempting to manipulate voter rolls ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.

He alleged that the government was trying to register voters from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in Assam through the Special Revision (SR) process to influence the next election.

“To protect his position, the Chief Minister has resorted to fake voter lists. The Congress will ask party workers to stay alert in the coming days. The future of Assam must be decided by the people of Assam,” Gogoi said.

Ripun Bora added that despite being in power for a decade, the state government had failed to address development issues and unemployment. “They woke up three months before elections. People understand this,” he said.

The review meeting saw participation from block- and district-level Congress representatives from Biswanath, Dhemaji, North Lakhimpur, Udalguri and Darrang, where the party discussed its strategy for the 2026 Assembly polls.