In a serious political escalation, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of instigating fresh violence during a sensitive eviction drive in Goalpara district. The unrest, which erupted during an operation to remove illegal settlers from a reserve forest, turned violent shortly after Gandhi’s address to Congress workers in Chaygaon. According to Sarma, Gandhi’s speech encouraged encroachers and “land jehadis” to illegally occupy government land, leading to deadly clashes with law enforcement. With one encroacher dead, 21 police personnel injured, and tensions mounting, Assam police are now reviewing Rahul Gandhi’s speech to determine if it directly incited the violence. Once again, the Congress leader stands accused of stirring communal fault lines for political gain undermining the rule of law and emboldening anti-national elements in the process.
Eviction Drive Turns Violent After Rahul’s Provocative Speech
The trouble began on Thursday morning when authorities launched an eviction drive in the Lakhipur Reserve Forest area of Goalpara district. This government land, long targeted by illegal encroachers, has been the focus of Chief Minister Sarma’s push to reclaim forest land from what he calls “land jihad.” Hours after Rahul Gandhi addressed a Congress meeting in Chaygaon the previous evening, violence broke out during the eviction. Protesters allegedly hurled stones and attacked police with weapons, prompting the police to open fire. One encroacher was killed, and two others were seriously injured.
Sarma laid the blame squarely at Rahul Gandhi’s feet, accusing him of misleading the evicted families through inflammatory rhetoric. “If Rahul Gandhi or Mallikarjun Kharge are found to have incited this violence through their speeches, the police will take action,” he declared. A case has been registered, and authorities have initiated a full review of Gandhi’s speech.
Rahul Gandhi came to Assam and openly encouraged encroachers to occupy forest land. Emboldened by his reckless words, today a violent mob attacked our police and forest personnel while attempting to forcefully encroach upon the Paikan Reserve Forest.
In the line of duty, 21…
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 17, 2025
Rahul’s Assam Visit: Political Revival or Dangerous Opportunism?
Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Assam comes at a time when the Congress is desperate to revive its dwindling fortunes in the state. He addressed a major gathering in Chaygaon, targeting Himanta Biswa Sarma with highly personal attacks, calling him “a king, not an elected leader,” and alleging cronyism and neglect of common people.
“You are the lions and lionesses of Assam. It is your fight for the future,” Gandhi told party workers, attempting to rally the base ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. But beneath the slogans and stage theatrics lies a dangerous trend: using emotional and polarising speeches to provoke unrest on the ground. His comment that the Congress “Babbar Sher” will one day jail Sarma and that “even Modi ji won’t save him” further exposes the kind of divisive politics Gandhi continues to indulge in.
Even more worryingly, Gandhi accused the BJP and the Election Commission of erasing names of poor and farmer voters—an irresponsible claim with no evidence, aimed at painting institutions as compromised and further weakening public trust.
Congress’s Shady Foreign Links Under Scanner
Adding to Congress’s credibility crisis is the ongoing controversy around Gaurav Gogoi’s wife. Himanta Sarma has accused Gogoi of having connections with Pakistan’s ISI, citing his wife Elizabeth’s professional collaboration with Pakistani climate policy expert Ali Tauqeer Sheikh. The Assam Police Special Investigation Team even travelled to Delhi to probe the matter. Though Gogoi dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, the fact remains: Congress’s top leaders are facing serious questions about their foreign associations.
Sarma further exposed the existence of nearly 1,000 Facebook accounts from Pakistan and Bangladesh that are allegedly trying to manipulate Assam’s political discourse. These revelations, coupled with ED seizures of properties linked to Robert Vadra, show a larger pattern of anti-India elements coalescing around the Congress ecosystem.
Instead of addressing these alarming issues, Rahul Gandhi seems to be diverting attention by inciting unrest and targeting elected leaders through provocative speeches.
Congress Fuels Unrest While BJP Protects Assam’s Future
As Assam moves towards the crucial 2026 Assembly elections, the battle lines are now clearly drawn. On one side stands the BJP, led by Himanta Biswa Sarma, committed to protecting the state’s land, preserving law and order, and uprooting illegal encroachments. On the other side stands a Congress party that appears increasingly aligned with disruptive, anti-India elements.
Rahul Gandhi’s Assam visit, far from being a revival of Congress’s grassroots strength, has exposed the party’s strategy of fuelling unrest and leveraging communal tension for political dividends. With his reckless rhetoric and veiled threats, Gandhi is playing a dangerous game—one that not only undermines state stability but also emboldens illegal encroachers and external actors. The BJP’s firm stance and proactive measures will now be tested, but one thing is clear: Assam cannot afford to return to Congress-style chaos.
