“Under British Rule, Singhal Would’ve Lived Worse Than an Animal”: Assam LoP

Leader of Opposition in the Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, on Thursday strongly condemned remarks made by BJP Minister Ashok Singhal, who reportedly compared the Indian National Congress to an “animal.” Speaking to the media, Saikia described the statement as “deeply unfortunate” and an insult not just to the Congress party, but to Assam’s political discourse.

“Minister Ashok Singhal, who has taken oath to uphold the Constitution, likened the party that played a pivotal role in India’s independence to an animal,” Saikia said. “One wonders what life would have been like for a person of his mentality if India were still under colonial rule. Such a statement is not only unacceptable, it is a disgrace to Assam’s political culture.”

Saikia further demanded that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma publicly apologize to the people of Assam for the minister’s remarks. He added that the Congress party will consult legal experts to explore possible action against Ashok Singhal. “In the future, Ashok Singhal must choose his words wisely. A corrupt individual should not be levelling baseless allegations at the Congress party,” Saikia stated.

The Leader of Opposition also criticized the ruling party’s handling of alleged corruption investigations against Congress leaders, claiming they were being used as tools to target political opponents. “The Prime Minister has vowed to put Congress leaders behind bars. Now, agencies like the ED and CBI are being wielded as instruments of political vendetta. Even the Supreme Court has likened the ED and CBI to a ‘caged bird’ in their functioning,” he said.

Saikia concluded: “Such remarks from a minister are unacceptable in a democracy. We strongly condemn them and reiterate that a public apology is warranted immediately.”

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