MP Rakibul Hussain Slams CM Sarma Over 'Lungi' Remark, Hits Out on ST Status & Tea Wages

In a sharp criticism of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Congress MP Rakibul Hussain accused the BJP-led government of promoting communal politics, failing to deliver on promises, and using disrespectful language. Reacting to CM Sarma’s controversial comment suggesting that the Congress party should replace its traditional 'hand' symbol with a 'lungi', Hussain said, “A thief carries the instincts of a thief, and a dog behaves like a dog, everyone dies with their nature. This applies to the Chief Minister as well.”

Speaking at an election rally at the Samaguri's Bajiagaon Block Congress Office and later at Pachim Larimukh village under the Samaguri constituency, Hussain accused the Chief Minister of making provocative statements to maintain his political relevance, calling him a “blacklisted individual with poor taste.”

The Congress MP also took the state government to task for failing to deliver on several long-standing commitments, including the granting of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six ethnic communities in Assam and the long-promised wage hike for tea garden workers, which he said remains unfulfilled even after a decade in power.

Further intensifying his criticism, Hussain alleged that the BJP was attempting to seize Waqf Board lands, religious properties donated by the Muslim community under the pretext of communal politics. He claimed that the ruling party was deliberately inciting Hindu-Muslim tensions to gain political mileage.

Hussain also charged the BJP with shielding criminals for electoral benefit. “Even after the police arrest rapists, the BJP ensures their release to use them during elections. Those who attacked me during the polls are now part of the BJP. Do they think people are blind?” he asked.

As Assam gears up for local body and panchayat elections, Hussain’s fiery remarks highlight the deepening political divide, with the Congress intensifying its offensive against what it terms as the BJP’s betrayal of indigenous communities and erosion of law and order for political gains.