Hours after Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday alleged that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s family had grabbed around 12,000 bighas of land across the state, the latter rejected the charges as “false, malicious and defamatory” and said he would initiate civil and criminal defamation proceedings against Gogoi and three other Congress leaders on February 9.
In a post on X, Sarma wrote, “I am initiating civil and criminal defamation proceedings on February 9, 2026, against Jitendra Singh Alwar, Bhupesh Baghel, Gaurav Gogoi and Debabrata Saikia 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 will not be intimidated by propaganda, coordinated slander, or the political theatrics of so-called slaves of the Gandhi family,” he added.
Earlier in the day, addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Gogoi said, “The Congress has conducted an investigation, and it yielded some startling revelations. Almost 12,000 bighas of land have been occupied by the CM and his family across Assam.”
Responding to Sarma’s defamation threat, Gogoi said, “It is plain to see that Himanta Biswa Sarma has been scared by our press conference today. Soon, details of his corruption and wealth will be made public in every village of Assam. If he has the courage, he should fight us in the court of public opinion instead of seeking refuge. P.S. I do not want to comment on hit and run.”
