Justice or Jamboree — What Was BJP’s ‘Zubeen Nyay Yatra’ Really?

Justice for whom? That’s the question echoing across Assam when the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched the ‘Zubeen Nyay Yatra’ that gained much hype. However, right after the yatra's fizzling out midway, covering only 8 districts, the other question that emerged is about its success.

A campaign that began with promises of “justice” for the music legend Zubeen Garg has now ended in silence halfway. Hence the question--was it a flop show?  

The Irony of Power Protesting Power

It all began under the direct instruction of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who reportedly decided that the party should launch a ‘Nyay Samadal’ (Justice March) across the state. The irony, of course, was impossible to miss: a ruling party, in power both at the Centre and in Assam, marching on the streets demanding justice from itself.

With the BJP’s own Pabitra Margherita serving as Union Minister of State for External Affairs, the very ministry linked to the Singapore leg of Zubeen’s case, the question became obvious: Justice from whom, exactly?

A March Without Mandate

Reportedly, the Nyay Yatra was never discussed or approved in either of the two key BJP state executive meetings held in Dibrugarh (October 9–10) and Guwahati (October 16). But that same night, during a closed-door meeting with BJP legislators and ministers, CM Sarma reportedly instructed everyone to begin the Nyay Samadal from Nalbari on October 22.

No one dared to object. The Chief Minister’s word was final.

And so, the state machinery of the ruling party swung into motion banners printed, flags raised, and loudspeakers ready. But the public wasn’t interested. Across eight districts, Nalbari, Dibrugarh, Dhemaji, Guwahati, Charaideo, Golaghat, and Morigaon, the turnout was sparse, the response lukewarm, and the confusion total.

From Tribute to Theatre

Zubeen Garg, Assam’s cultural heartbeat, passed away mysteriously in Singapore on September 19. His death had left the state in mourning, and the BJP, sensing the emotional undercurrent, attempted to turn that grief into a political stage.

CM Sarma had earlier declared that “Zubeen will get justice” and assured that arrests had been made and suspects interrogated even brought back from Singapore. But then came the political U-turn. Suddenly, the narrative shifted: “The judiciary, not the government, will deliver justice.”

That shift became the pretext for the Zubeen Nyay Yatra a “public awareness” march meant to underline that justice would come through the courts, not the government. The problem? The people weren’t buying it.

The Slogan That Sank

If the rallies looked confused, the slogans sounded worse.

“Moi o Zubeen Onuragi, Ami o Zubeen Onuragi” (I am a fan of Zubeen, we are all fans of Zubeen) was meant to unite hearts. Instead, it invited ridicule. The line blurred the line between tribute and imitation, between emotion and exploitation.

Even Dispur MLA Atul Bora expressed unease.

“I sat through the legislative party meeting for four hours but did not utter a word,” Bora admitted. “I didn’t like the slogan ‘Moi o Zubeen Onuragi’. But I didn’t object, because decisions were already made. In that rally, I would never have said I am Zubeen Garg because no one else can be Zubeen.”

His rare public dissent exposed what many BJP insiders whisper privately that the Nyay Yatra was not a strategy, but a spontaneous impulse from the top, carried out reluctantly by a confused party base.

The Embarrassment Multiplies

The contradictions deepened as rallies rolled out. In the first leg at Nalbari, BJP workers marched waving party flags, chanting slogans about justice. Within days, the backlash forced the leadership to order a quiet retreat no BJP flags, no slogans, no noise.

By the time the Nyay Yatra reached Dibrugarh, the “march for justice” had turned into a subdued procession. The crowds had vanished. The spirit was gone. What remained was only political theatre minus the audience.

A Pre-Election Misfire?

With just months left for the 2026 Assembly elections, the fiasco has left the BJP’s Assam unit shaken. Political observers call it a classic case of political overreach, a desperate attempt to rewrite a narrative that didn’t need rewriting.

The episode has also exposed the dangers of over-centralised decision-making. In today’s Assam BJP, decisions no longer emerge from debate; they descend from the Chief Minister’s office. And this time, that top-down experiment collapsed on contact with the ground.

The Final Note

What was supposed to be an emotional homage to the most beloved voice of Assam has instead turned into a cautionary tale of political arrogance. The Zubeen Nyay Yatra born out of a single leader’s directive is now remembered not for its message, but for its irony.

A ruling party marched demanding justice from itself.

A movement meant to unite ended up dividing.

And a slogan meant to inspire ended up being mocked.

In the end, the Zubeen Nyay Yatra leaves behind not justice, not closure, but a lingering question: was it grief, or was it politics?

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