Guwahati, Sep 28 Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Sunday, appealed for political restraint in the wake of cultural icon Zubeen Garg's untimely death, stressing that the matter should not be exploited for personal or political mileage at a time when the state is still reeling with grief.
Speaking to the reporters here, Chief Minister Sarma said the entire state was emotionally affected by Garg's passing, and any attempt to politicise the issue would only deepen the wounds.
"At a time when the people of Assam are emotionally affected, it is not appropriate to engage in politics. It is also not right for some individuals in Assam to use any incident as an opportunity to make their name 'popular' by doing certain things," he added.
The Chief Minister's comments come at a time when the circumstances surrounding Garg's death in Singapore on September 19 continue to draw widespread public attention and trigger a flurry of statements from political and social circles.
Garg, one of Assam's most beloved singers and actors, had been a household name for more than three decades, and his death has left a vacuum in the cultural landscape of the state.
Chief Minister Sarma emphasised that the state government's priority remained the ongoing investigation into Garg's death.
He urged all stakeholders to allow the Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted earlier this week, to carry out its work in a fair and transparent manner.
"Our responsibility is to ensure that the truth comes out. If any wrongdoing is found, justice will be delivered. But this should not be turned into a platform for political one-upmanship," the Chief Minister underlined.
The SIT, headed by M.P. Gupta, Special Director General of Police of Assam Police's CID, with Rosie Kalita, Senior Superintendent of Police (CM Vigilance), as the chief investigating officer, has been tasked with conducting a time-bound probe.
The state government has assured full cooperation with Singaporean authorities as well as Garg's family to ascertain the exact circumstances of his death.
As Assam mourns the loss of one of its brightest cultural figures, Chief Minister Sarma called for calm, patience and dignity in public discourse, reiterating that "Zubeen belongs to every Assamese heart, and his legacy must not be reduced to political point-scoring".
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