Guwahati, Dec 22: Assam Congress president and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of presenting a distorted version of Indian history during his recent two-day visit to Assam and criticised him for failing to pay tribute to late singer Zubeen Garg.
Addressing the media here, Gogoi said that while the Prime Minister addressed several public gatherings in the state, his speeches were largely focused on attacking the Congress party and promoting what he described as a misleading historical narrative.
The Congress leader was referring to Modi’s claim that a conspiracy had been hatched prior to Independence to merge Assam with East Pakistan, allegedly with the Congress party’s involvement, and that former Assam chief minister Gopinath Bordoloi had opposed the move and protected the state’s identity.
Terming the Prime Minister’s conduct “deeply unfortunate,” Gogoi alleged that Modi ignored the pain and grief of the Assamese people by not paying tribute to Zubeen Garg.
He said the Prime Minister neither met the bereaved family nor expressed condolences to the singer’s lakhs of fans across the state, giving the impression that public emotions were invisible to him.
Gogoi further alleged that the Prime Minister appeared more focused on “lights, camera and choreographed ceremonies,” reducing people to mere spectators instead of acknowledging their emotions. Drawing a parallel with Manipur, he claimed that youths there felt like “props in a drama” during Modi’s visit to the violence-hit state.
In contrast, Gogoi highlighted the actions of Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, stating that Gandhi paid tribute to Zubeen Garg at Zubeen Khetra, met the grieving family and demanded justice.
He also noted that Gandhi visited Manipur twice and interacted with survivors of the violence. “As far as the Northeast is concerned, Rahul Gandhi understands its sentiments,” Gogoi said, adding that the region is neither a slogan nor a laboratory.
He asserted that the Northeast deserves respect and will support only those who honour its culture, traditions and sacrifices. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Assam over the weekend and addressed multiple public programmes across the state.
