No More Bluster: September 10 Demands Evidence, Not Rhetoric

September 10 has now been designated as the day of reckoning for Assam politics—not by the opposition, not by some faceless leak, but by the Chief Minister himself. For weeks already, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has threatened to deliver an "earthquake," a piece of information so monumental that it would shake the very foundations of state politics. He went further still, threatening to leave politics completely if what he said proved to be empty words. A Chief Minister, he claimed, never talks in a casual manner.

And yet, with the deadline given to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report fast approaching, the atmosphere in Assam is not one of expectation, but one of doubt. For, after all, the SIT had until September 10 to file its report. No extension has been requested, and the Chief Minister himself confirmed that he hasn't yet read the report. His words convey a careful withdrawal: "I will have to read the report first… If I find it very serious, I may have to talk to the Prime Minister or the Home Minister. Not serious, then there will be another procedure."

That is a long way from the fiery conviction with which he had previously talked about Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, calling him a "Pakistani agent." Such a charge, unprecedented in Assam's contemporary political parlance, is not an off-hand remark—it's a serious charge carrying national security consequences.

This is where Raijor Dal chief and firebrand MLA Akhil Gogoi on Tuesday has jumped into action, going to the point. His call is as direct as it's dramatic: either show your actions, or step down. "Tomorrow only two things can happen," announced Akhil, "either Gaurav Gogoi will go to jail, or the Chief Minister will resign."

This is no longer about a mere political feud between two Gogois. This is about credibility. If CM Sarma produces hard evidence, Gaurav Gogoi’s political career may well implode under the weight of betrayal. But if the SIT report turns out to be thin—or worse, if it is used to deflect and delay—then it will be the Chief Minister’s integrity that stands questioned.

The stakes are high. CM Sarma's own words have cornered him. A Chief Minister who had promised that he would not even "return home" if he were found to be a liar cannot now take refuge behind the language of procedure. If the SIT report is actually given tomorrow, the Assamese people want clarity and not ambiguity.

What is even more notable in this episode is the deficit of public trust that it reveals. When ruling political opposition is made into a show of allegations almost to the point of absurdity by the leaders, then it becomes possible to lose confidence in institutions. "Pakistani agent" is something that cannot be walked back using technicalities or half-truths. It either stands on good evidence or falls flat.

So tomorrow, the curtain goes up. Will it be the long-promised earthquake, rattling Assam's political landscape? Or will it be another anticlimax, yet another instance of words that had thundered only to be followed by a deafening silence?

Either path, however, has one certainty: September 10 will put to test not only the SIT's zeal but the Chief Minister's word. For the people of Assam, tired of political theatrics but starved for accountability, bluster time is over. It is now time for evidence.

Also Read: “Either Gaurav Gogoi Goes to Jail or CM Must Resign Tomorrow” – Akhil Gogoi