Political tensions escalated in Assam after Congress MP and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi questioned Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s credibility and ideological consistency, including remarks on his claim to Hindu and indigenous Assamese identity.

Addressing party workers, Gogoi said Hinduism stood for truth, fearlessness and honesty, values which, he alleged, the Chief Minister did not uphold. He accused Sarma of repeatedly shifting political positions for personal benefit and of lacking moral integrity. According to Gogoi, such political opportunism had weakened public trust and harmed the state’s political culture.

The Congress leader also targeted Sarma’s political journey, alleging that frequent ideological changes raised serious questions about his credibility. He further claimed that the Chief Minister had failed to establish himself either as a genuine Hindu leader or as a true representative of indigenous Assamese interests, remarking that Sarma’s identity would ultimately be reduced to that of a “mere landowner”.

Gogoi accused the Chief Minister of creating a false public image and criticised his support for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which he described as a major threat to the rights and identity of indigenous communities in Assam. He said a leader backing such legislation could not portray himself as a defender of Khilonjiya, or indigenous, interests.

The remarks drew a sharp response from the Chief Minister. In a post on social media platform X, Sarma announced that he would initiate both civil and criminal defamation proceedings on February 9, 2026, against Gaurav Gogoi, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and other Congress leaders. He accused them of making “false, malicious and defamatory” statements during a press conference.