Those Who Defamed Zubeen Garg Now Worship Him: Himanta Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said many people defamed singer Zubeen Garg when he was alive, but they are now worshipping him.

His comment comes a day after the police baton-charged and fired tear gas shells in Baksa district to disperse a mob that attacked the convoy carrying the five arrested people in connection with the singer's death.

"When Zubeen was alive, the entire ecosystem tried to defame and pull him down. Today, after his death, the same people worship him as a god," the chief minister posted on 'X'.

''These are not real admirers- they are fake fans whose only motive is to use his name to attack and oppose BJP. True love and respect are shown when a person is alive, not when it becomes convenient after death," Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed.

He had alleged on Wednesday that since the day Zubeen Garg died, a section of people have been trying to create a "false narrative to fulfil their vested political interests".

Some political parties are attempting to instigate the common people, who are the real fans of the singer, to create a situation which is indeed condemnable, the chief minister had said.

''This is not in the interest of the people and it will harm the state for a long time just like the movement against the Citizenship Amendment Act did," he said.

Himanta Biswa Sarma appealed to the people to believe in the judiciary and not be misguided by those who are doing politics for their vested interests.

''Zubeen's death cannot be a political advantage for anybody but the prevailing narrative created by the section is that his death happened and we must keep the issue alive till the assembly elections'', Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The common people are "not doing politics but they are emotional", and it is a "section who are giving false information for their own political benefits".

''Most of these people were never Zubeen's fans and had even criticised him, but now, overnight, they have deleted their previous social media posts and are claiming to be his ardent fans," he said.

The chief minister alleged that this section will ''not allow the situation to settle down till there is violence or a Nepal-like situation in the state".

The Assam government had constituted the 10-member SIT to investigate the singer's death in Singapore due to drowning in the sea on September 19.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)