Himanta slams Congress for trying to politicise Zubeen’s death before polls

From Our Special Correspondent

GUWAHATI, May 26: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday lambasted the Congress and people who took Zubeen Garg’s name for political mileage ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.

“Congress leaders who had earlier criticised Zubeen Garg took the singer’s name to engage in politics before the elections. The party had even made Zubeen Garg’s demise as one of the key issues in their election mani- festo. Portraits and banners of Zubeen Garg were put up at the political party’s office,” Sarma said, during a discussion in the Assam Assembly.

“The electors have an- swered through their mandate that one should not indulge in politics in the name of cultural icons such as Zubeen Garg, Bhupen Hazarika…For us, Zubeen Garg has always been a national asset. So, one should never criticise an icon in his lifetime, as after his demise, we all have to cry,” he said.

The chief minister also took potshots at Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, stat- ing that the latter had to face defeat in the elections as he had “opposed development during the plan to set up the Jorhat flyover.”

“Such opposition to devel- opment and industrialisation has backfired on Gaurav Gogoi and the Congress,” he said.

Meanwhile, speaking at the Assembly, Sarma high- lighted Assam’s remarkable transformation in the health- care sector, stating that the state has now surpassed the national average in Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR).

The chief minister noted that Assam, once ranked at the bottom nationally, has now emerged among the top-performing states in India, reflecting the govern- ment’s steadfast commitment towards ensuring quality healthcare and comprehen- sive care for every mother.

He expressed strong deter- mination that Assam is firmly on track to transform into a Rs 10 lakh crore economy by 2028.

Sarma noted that the GSDP has expanded from Rs 4 lakh crore in 2021-22 to a projected Rs 8.72 lakh crore today, clocking an impressive annual growth rate of 13 to 15 percent.

Sarma emphasised that with this unprecedented momentum, Assam is ful- ly poised to significantly strengthen the PM’s vision of a $5 trillion national econ- omy.

He further highlighted that the state has achieved a fresh direction through meaningful peace dialogues that respect public aspirations.