BJP Infighting Turns Violent in Assam's Kamrup Over Graft Allegations

A simmering intra-party conflict within the BJP's Kamalpur unit exploded into violence this week, after veteran party leader Girin Goswami was allegedly assaulted by a group of men led by former panchayat president Tubul Deka. The attack came shortly after Goswami made serious corruption allegations through a controversial Facebook post targeting current and former members of the Singrapara Panchayat.

Goswami, known for his outspoken stance against alleged irregularities at the grassroots level, has been a vocal critic of what he claims are long-standing financial misdeeds in the panchayat. In a post uploaded two days before the incident, he urged local residents to raise their voices against incomplete works and the misuse of public funds. However, the tone of his post—riddled with explicit and derogatory personal attacks—has triggered widespread outrage.

In the now-viral post, Goswami alleged that former panchayat head Tubul Deka had accepted bribes and accused him of being a "sold-out agent of AGP." His statements took a disturbing turn, veering into personal insults and sexually explicit threats aimed at Deka’s family members, drawing criticism even from within the BJP.
While the authenticity of all claims remains under investigation, the fallout was swift.

According to eyewitnesses and BJP workers, Goswami was attacked late Wednesday night by a group of 20–25 individuals allegedly led by Tubul Deka and Deepak Baishya, the husband of current Panchayat President Purabi Baishya. "They used sharp weapons and even tried to force him into a car. It was only because local residents and his family intervened that he was rescued," one local said.

Goswami is currently hospitalized in a private facility and is said to be in a critical condition. His mother, speaking to reporters, said, "They have brutally assaulted my son. He is a social worker and would never harm anyone."
Multiple FIRs have been filed at Baihata Chariali Police Station from both sides. Police confirmed that separate cases have been registered and an investigation is ongoing.

Meanwhile, reactions from the accused and other local BJP figures reflect the growing fissures within the party's local structure.

Former president Tubul Deka denied orchestrating the attack but acknowledged growing tensions. "For the past 7–10 days, Girin Goswami has been abusing me online. He has sent private messages to many of our workers and even tried to attack some of them with a dagger. I have been with BJP for 30 years. This incident has deeply demoralized our grassroots workers," Deka stated, while also expressing hope for Goswami’s recovery.

Panchayat President Purabi Baishya added another layer to the controversy, alleging she too had been harassed. "Last night around 11 pm, two individuals—Dipen Talukdar and Munin Deka—came to my house and threatened to burn it down, saying 'You are doing BJP, we will burn BJP'. I had to file a police complaint to protect my life," she told local media.

On the other hand, locals supportive of Goswami maintain that his criticisms were directed solely at financial mismanagement and not at individuals. “He has been raising these issues for nearly a decade. His latest Facebook post was about incomplete panchayat work. This was not supposed to lead to violence. We demand justice,” said a resident of Singrapara.

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