Guwahati, Feb 4 Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday mounted a sharp counter-offensive against the Congress after senior party leaders launched a political attack on him, announcing that he would initiate both civil and criminal defamation proceedings against Congress leaders Gaurav Gogoi, Bhupesh Baghel, Jitendra Singh Alwar and Debabrata Saikia.
In a strongly worded post on X, Sarma said the legal proceedings would be initiated on February 9, accusing the Congress leaders of making “false, malicious and defamatory” statements against him during a press conference earlier in the day.
Declaring that he would not be cowed down by political pressure, the Chief Minister said the era of “hit-and-run politics” was over and challenged his opponents to substantiate their allegations in a court of law.
“If they have even an ounce of courage or evidence, let them prove every allegation before a court of law,” Sarma said, adding that he would not be intimidated by what he termed as propaganda, coordinated slander or political theatrics.
He also accused the Congress leaders of acting at the behest of the Gandhi family.
The Chief Minister’s reaction came hours after Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, in the presence of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, unveiled a digital platform titled WhoIsHBS.com at a press conference held at Rajiv Bhawan.
Gogoi said the portal was aimed at questioning Sarma’s political journey and governance style, and claimed it contained documents, videos and other material related to the Chief Minister’s public life.
Gogoi, who is the Deputy Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, asserted that the initiative was intended to place “facts” before the people of Assam and promote accountability.
He said the Congress had also released a pamphlet with similar content, which would be distributed across the state as part of a broader outreach programme.
Alleging misuse of authority, Gogoi said public scrutiny of governance and decision-making was necessary, particularly as Assam heads towards crucial political milestones.
Baghel echoed these views, stressing transparency and accountability as democratic essentials.
Political observers see the sharp exchange as an early escalation of the battle lines ahead of the Assembly elections, with both the ruling BJP and the Congress intensifying their attacks and counter-attacks in the public domain.
--IANS
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