Guwahati, April 4: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday launched a veiled attack at Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, saying that people will teach him a lesson for his assertion that only one community was involved in the country’s freedom struggle.
Talking to reporters, CM Sarma said: “We have an MP from Assam who demanded that the government must allow Muslim people to hold Namaz prayers on the streets. Moreover, he also claimed that only one particular community was involved in the country’s freedom movement. This is an extremely objectionable statement. People all across the globe have been calling me up expressing their objections to the particular MP’s comment.”
The CM said, “In Assam, Muslim people hold Namaz prayers in Idgah, Masjid in a very peaceful way and they have never demanded to have Namaz on the streets.” CM Sarma wondered how the Congress MP could claim that only one particular community had primarily participated in the freedom movement. “Does he want to claim that Mahatma Gandhi had no role in the freedom movement?” the Chief Minister asked, taking a swipe at Gogoi. “As of now, I tender an apology to the people of the country for the Congress MP’s statement and I hope that he will be taught a lesson by the public,” CM Sarma said.
During the parliamentary discussion on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Congress MP and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, strongly criticised the proposed legislation. He voiced concerns that the “Bill will weaken the Constitution, target minority communities, and promote division in society”. Gogoi also highlighted the vital role and sacrifices of Muslim freedom fighters in India’s independence movement. He contrasted their bravery with the actions of some political leaders who had appealed for mercy from colonial authorities, drawing this comparison to counter narratives that cast minority groups in a negative light.
IANS