Assam Congress slams Himanta Biswa Sarma, probe likely

Assam Congress president Anjan Dutta here on Saturday launched a frontal attack against his former colleague, now a BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma while doubting his integrity as health minister of Assam. Mr Dutta told reporters, “Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi is looking into various charges against former health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as health minister. He may order a probe into it, though I am not aware about other details.” Accusing his former colleague of indulging in hooliganism to create law and order problem, Mr Dutta said, “The way BJP workers smashed the glasses at Gopi Nath Borodoloi International Airport on Thursday at the behest of Mr Sarma, it has left the people of the state in shock. The more surprising was the role of the airport authority and CISF which did not file any FIR against the BJP workers resorting to vandalism.”

Charging the central government agencies of acting soft against BJP leaders, Mr Dutta said, “We are not troubled by Mr Sarma leaving the Congress party and joining BJP. What he was doing in Congress in his bid to become chief minister, he has been doing now in BJP.”

Referring various instances, Mr Dutta said, “Mr Sarma left the party only when he was told categorically by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to work under the leadership of Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi and follow the party discipline.”

Pointing out that he himself was present in a meeting when Mr Sarma was pulled up by the top Congress leadership, Mr Dutta said, “Mr Sarma had taken over Congress party by misleading the leadership and his next mission was to topple Mr Gogoi but failed. It is good that now he is repeating the same in BJP.”

Regretting that Mr Sarma was trying to vitiate the atmosphere of the state, Mr Dutta however asked Assam BJP president Sarbananda Sonowal to beg an apology to the people of the state on behalf of his party workers who vendalised a shop at the Guwahati Airport.”