Former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi asked his successor Sarbananda Sonowal to stand up for the people of the state at this hour of crisis. Taking a dig at Sonowal, Gogoi said the incumbent government “says one thing and does another”.

“Sonowal talks about safeguarding the indigenous people. How will he do that? By passing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019? There are no similarities between the government’s claims and its actions. There should be a limit to betrayal. The people of Assam are fed up with the government in this last four years,” the veteran Congress leader said.

“The incumbent government has a couple of months to complete its term, but don’t think it can fight with problems such as the Covid pandemic, economic crisis and the floods. But as an Opposition, we would ask Sonowal to wake up for the people of Assam and in the interest of the state,” Gogoi added. He criticised the state government for “suppressing the voice of dissenters” and using “draconian” laws against those who do not agree with the government.

“The arrest of peasant leader Akhil Gogoi for participating in the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) agitation is nothing but political vendetta and an attempt to suppress their fundamental rights. The summons by the NIA to the student leaders of a premier university is also condemnable,” Gogoi said.

The BJP-led government in Assam completed fours years, but there were no celebrations or meetings as the entire official machinery was “engaged in tackling Covid-19”.