Guwahati, March 24: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has made explosive allegations against the Congress, claiming that the party operated a rhino poaching syndicate in Kaziranga National Park between 2010 and 2014 to fund its election campaigns.
Speaking in the Assam Assembly on Monday, Sarma said more than 25 one-horned rhinos were killed before the 2014 elections, with the illicit proceeds being channelled into election funding.
According to Sarma, the Congress earned approximately Rs 10 crore per rhino horn, amounting to Rs 250 crore from poaching activities. “The Congress deliberately allowed the slaughter of rhinos in Kaziranga because they were using the money to fund their elections. Had we been involved in rhino poaching, our party too would have had illegal transactions of Rs 10 crore per rhino. If we permitted the killing of 25 rhinos a year, we would have made crores,” he said replying to aa motion brought by CPI-M MLA Manaoranjan Talukdar on illegal syndicates in the state.
The Chief Minister highlighted the stark contrast between his administration’s efforts to curb poaching and the alleged negligence of the Congress-led government. “Under our government, rhino poaching has drastically decreased. Only three rhinos were killed in 2021, two in 2022, none in 2023, and two in 2024. Compare this to Congress’s tenure: 22 rhinos were killed in 2012, 24 in 2013, and 25 in 2014. The same forest officers and police personnel were in charge, yet Congress failed to stop poaching. Did they lack political will, or were they running a dangerous rhino horn syndicate?” he questioned.
Sarma, who was once a Congress leader, suggested that he was deliberately kept away from the Forest Department by an “inner coterie” in the party that was benefiting from poaching. “Had I been in charge of the Forest Department, I would have put an end to poaching in Kaziranga. But Congress sidelined me because a powerful syndicate was operating under its watch. They used my services for education and health, where I brought transparency in TET recruitment and a revolution in the health sector. But they deliberately kept me away from forest affairs,” he said.
The Chief Minister further claimed that rhino poaching incidents surged as elections approached, particularly in 2012 and 2013. “The timing of the increase in poaching is suspicious. As the elections neared, the killings escalated. This was not a coincidence but a well-planned operation to finance their campaign,” he also said.
Sarma defended his government’s crackdown on illegal syndicates, including cattle smuggling, corruption, and supari (areca nut) syndicates. “From 2021 to 2024, we arrested 4,300 cattle smugglers across the state. Compare this to the Congress government’s record from 2010 to 2016, when only 77 smugglers were arrested. Today, no cattle can enter from Bengal except milking cows. Our police have ruthlessly chased smugglers, and some have even been killed while attempting to smuggle,” he further said.
Regarding corruption, Sarma highlighted his government’s anti-graft measures. “Since 2021, we have arrested 24 Class I gazetted officers, 80 Class II officers, and 349 other officials for bribery. We recovered 224.74 grams of gold and Rs 12 crore from these corrupt officials. Unlike previous governments, we act on public complaints and ensure swift arrests,” he added.
The conviction rate has also significantly improved under the BJP-led government, Sarma claimed. “In 2014, the conviction rate was just 6 per cent. In 2024, we have raised it to 25 per cent. Over 31 government officers have been convicted by the courts during this period,” Sarma pointed out.
The Assam government has also initiated an investigation into illegal rat-hole mining. “We have constituted a judicial commission led by Justice (retired) Anima Hazarika to probe rat-hole mining cases. Based on the commission’s findings, strict action will be taken,” Sarma said.
The Chief Minister also addressed the issue of the supari syndicate, stating that more than 700 people have been arrested, 6,000 tonnes of areca nut seized, and 734 cases registered. “To eliminate the syndicate, we have signed MoUs under the Advantage Assam 2.0 initiative to set up two supari industries in Assam. Once these units are operational, the illegal trade will be eradicated,” added.
