Guwahati: The regional outfit in Assam, Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi, on Tuesday wrote an open letter to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, accusing him of misleading the people of the state and raising concerns over the Bharatiya Janata Party’s decision to field a controversial candidate from the Sivasagar Assembly constituency.
In the strongly worded letter, Gogoi alleged that the Chief Minister had repeatedly used the term “Chitragupta” while referring to him during the ongoing election campaign.
He described the remarks as politically motivated and said they were aimed at defending Bharatiya Janata Party nominee Jayanta Hazarika, popularly known as Kushal Duwari.
The Raijor Dal leader said that the people of Assam, particularly Upper Assam, had not forgotten the traumatic phase of alleged “secret killings” that marked the late 1990s and early 2000s.
He claimed that the period was remembered for fear, uncertainty, and violence, and continues to haunt many affected families.
Gogoi further alleged that Hazarika’s name had surfaced in several criminal cases during that period.
Referring to past reports and local accounts, he claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate had been linked to multiple murder allegations, though no court findings were cited in the letter.
He also referred to specific incidents, including the killing of a family in Mahmora in 1999 and other alleged crimes in the Sivasagar region, saying that such episodes remain painful memories for local residents.
Questioning the Bharatiya Janata Party’s decision, Gogoi asked on what moral grounds a person facing such allegations had been given a party ticket.
He said that the move sends a wrong message to society and undermines public faith in democratic politics.
In a direct criticism of the Chief Minister, Gogoi said people should not remain silent in the face of criminality and warned that empowering controversial individuals could weaken democratic institutions.
He also claimed that speaking on such matters could put political opponents at personal risk, but asserted that the truth must be raised in the public interest.
The Raijor Dal chief concluded by urging the Chief Minister to reconsider the decision and uphold democratic values in Assam.
(IANS)
