Guwahati, Feb 19: A fresh political controversy has erupted in Assam after state Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah raised concerns over the timing of the Justice Biplab Sarma panel report on irregularities in the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC). The BJP swiftly countered his remarks, accusing the Congress of hypocrisy and panic.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Borah alleged that selective portions of the 900-page report were being highlighted to tarnish the legacy of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. “Only Page 502 has been widely discussed, where late Tarun Gogoi’s name appears. The entire state knows how he trusted Himanta Biswa Sarma, who later betrayed him for power. It is also known that a list of candidates provided by Himanta Biswa Sarma was found at the residence of Rakesh Paul, the prime accused in the APSC cash-for-jobs scam,” Borah claimed.
He further pointed out that three ministers from the then-Congress government, including Gautam Roy—who had pushed for Rakesh Paul’s appointment as APSC chairperson—are now in the BJP. Borah accused the ruling party of strategically releasing the report to divert public attention from pressing issues like the illegal coal mining crisis in Umrangso, where laborers remain trapped.
Highlighting Tarun Gogoi’s contributions to Assam’s development, Borah also took a veiled dig at Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. “At least the wife of late Tarun Gogoi never occupied revenue surplus land, built a luxurious resort, or opened an elite school,” he remarked, challenging Sarma to order a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into coal scams, cash-for-jobs scams, and syndicate operations in the state.
BJP’s Strong Rebuttal
The BJP hit back strongly, dismissing Borah’s statements as an attempt to mislead the public. Assam BJP chief spokesperson Manoj Baruah accused the Congress of panicking over the report’s findings. “The Justice Biplab Kumar Sarma report has exposed the Congress-era recruitment scam. Bhupen Borah’s attempt to divert attention shows how deeply the party is rattled. The scam, the biggest in Assam’s history, implicates former CM Tarun Gogoi and his son, MP Gaurav Gogoi,” Baruah stated.
He further slammed Borah for what he called “contradictory statements.” “On one hand, Borah praises Justice Biplab Sarma’s report on Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. On the other, he rejects the same judge’s report on APSC corruption. This double standard exposes Congress’ hypocrisy,” he alleged.
BJP leaders accused Congress of attempting to shield its own involvement in the scam and claimed that the party’s misleading statements would not succeed in distracting the public. The party asserted that the report only reaffirmed the large-scale corruption under Congress rule and that accountability would be ensured.
