Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s claim that no Congress leader visited Bhupen Hazarika after his death backfires as Congress posts his 2011 Facebook tribute.
BY PC Bureau
October 17, 2025: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has come under fire from the Congress and social media users after claiming that no Congress leader had visited Assam following the death of music icon Bhupen Hazarika in 2011.
The remark—made while responding to Rahul Gandhi’s ongoing visit to the state following the death of singer Zubeen Garg—has sparked a major political storm. Critics accused Sarma of “convenient amnesia” and “distorting history” to score political points.
The Assam Congress quickly fact-checked the Chief Minister’s statement, posting screenshots of his own Facebook post dated November 10, 2011, showing Rahul Gandhi paying floral tributes to Bhupen Hazarika.
“Honourable Chief Minister, it’s sad to see you in this state. You seem to be forgetting your own words,” the Assam Congress wrote on X, adding, “You yourself posted photos of Rahul Gandhi paying tribute to Bhupen da.”
Congress social media in-charge Supriya Shrinate launched a direct attack, calling Sarma a “shameless liar.”
“You shameless liar @himantabiswa,” Shrinate wrote, amplifying the party’s criticism online and triggering thousands of reactions within hours.
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Fact-checker Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of Alt News, also weighed in, posting evidence of Sarma’s 2011 Facebook entry.
“Assam CM now claims no one from Congress showed up after Bhupen Hazarika passed away. Interestingly, he himself had shared an image of Rahul Gandhi paying homage on November 10, 2011 — five days after Bhupen da’s death,” Zubair noted.
You shameless liar @himantabiswa https://t.co/fKg9JlHEcO pic.twitter.com/h1Xkxsnn2T
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) October 16, 2025
The controversy stems from Sarma’s remarks at a media interaction, where he said:
“During Bhupen Hazarika’s time, no one from Congress showed up. This time, Rahul Gandhi is coming on the 28th day after Zubeen’s death, and I welcome him.”
If @RahulGandhi did not visited Bhupin Hazarika home after he passed away, Was this an AI generated image which you @himantabiswa posted on your facebook timeline on 10/11/2011. That is 5 days after Bhupin Hazarika passed away? pic.twitter.com/dPouwGIZdH
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) October 16, 2025
Political observers say the exchange reflects the deepening political rivalry between the ruling BJP and the Congress in Assam, particularly as the state remains emotionally charged following Zubeen Garg’s death.
The Congress has demanded that the Chief Minister “apologize for misleading the public,” while BJP leaders have defended Sarma, claiming his words were “misquoted” and taken out of context.
With Rahul Gandhi’s visit drawing large crowds and renewed attention to the Justice for Zubeen Garg campaign, the political heat in Assam shows no signs of cooling.
