The political battle between the Assam Congress and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has intensified ahead of next year's Legislative Assembly elections. Today, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee launched a portal named "Who is Himanta Biswa Sarma" 'WhoIsHBS' at Rajiv Bhavan in Guwahati, alleging that the Chief Minister's family has illegally acquired nearly 12,000 bighas of land. Sarma has said he is taking legal action against the Congress leaders.
The Congress said the portal has been launched to collect public information and evidence related to alleged land grabbing and corruption.
The party has appealed to the people of Assam to upload documents, details, and evidence of alleged illegal land holdings linked to Himanta Biswa Sarma and his family through the portal.
After launching the portal, the Congress held a joint press conference in Guwahati, attended by senior party leaders including APCC chief Gaurav Gogoi, AICC General Secretary Jitendra Singh and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Leader of the Opposition Assam Assembly Debabrata Saikia, MPs, MLAs.
Addressing the media, Gogoi said the portal was created to bring alleged irregularities to the public domain and ensure transparency. He claimed the Congress would continue to expose what it termed as "misuse of power" by the Assam Chief Minister and his family.
Meanwhile, AICC General Secretary Jitendra Singh launched a sharp attack on Himanta Biswa Sarma, calling him "the enemy of Assam".
He alleged that Sarma has turned Assam into a "family business" and claimed that 12,000 bighas of land is in the name of the Chief Minister's family. Singh further alleged that the family is linked with 17 companies and accused the government of selling more than 40,000 bigha of land to corporate groups.
Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel also criticised the Assam Chief Minister, alleging that over the past five years, Sarma has weakened institutions and attempted to destroy the state's system of governance. Ba ghel claimed that the Chief Minister and his family were working to control Assam's resources.
The Congress said the portal will act as a platform for citizens to participate in exposing alleged corruption and land-related irregularities, as the party prepares for the upcoming 2026 elections.
Sarma has hit back, saying he will take legal action. "I am initiating civil and criminal defamation proceedings on 9 February 2026 against @JitendraSAlwar, @bhupeshbaghel, @GauravGogoiAsm and @DsaikiaOfficial for making false, malicious and defamatory statements against me in today's press conference. The era of hit-and-run politics is over. If they have even an ounce of courage or evidence, let them prove every allegation before a court of law".
I am initiating civil and criminal defamation proceedings on 9 February 2026 against @JitendraSAlwar, @bhupeshbaghel, @GauravGogoiAsm and @DsaikiaOfficial for making false, malicious and defamatory statements against me in today's press conference.
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) February 4, 2026
The era of hit-and-run...
He has also attacked Gogoi.
"The investigation into Gaurav Gogoi's ties with Pakistan is not a matter of Assamese politics, it is a global conspiracy against India. This is not just Gaurav Gogoi, many people are involved. Investigation of how there is a conspiracy from the US and England to weaken India from within, and the Assam Police has successfully conducted a preliminary investigation" he said.
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