BJP’s Zubeen Garg Justice Campaign: Hypocrisy Cloaked in Slogans

It has been a month now since Assam lost its beloved son, Pranor Xilpi, Zubeen Garg. A voice of the soul of Assam was muffled forever, and millions are left in pain. And yet, while the people of Assam wait for answers, what should have been a solemn call for justice has instead become a showcase of political posturing—led prominently by the ruling BJP.

On Sunday, Assam BJP President Dilip Saikia addressed the media, demanding an immediate investigation and insisting that a strong chargesheet be filed. A reasonable demand, if not for one inconvenient truth: the BJP controls the very machinery investigating Zubeen Garg’s death. The SIT, the Judicial Inquiry Commission under Justice Saumitra Saikia, and the postmortem procedures—all operate under the BJP-led state government. Calling for transparency and swift justice while overseeing the investigation exposes the party’s statements as more political theatre than genuine advocacy.

Politics Disguised as Justice

Saikia’s sharp rebuke of state Congress chief and MP Gaurav Gogoi for allegedly politicizing Zubeen’s death falls flat. Under the banner of “Moi O Zubeen Anuragi, Amio O Zubeen Anuragi,” the BJP has gone beyond mere statements, turning grief into a full-fledged political campaign through placards, slogans, and social media hashtags. A cringeworthy typo on election hoardings—"Justice" spelt as #Justic—brought the campaign crashing down and exposed it as theatrics rather than action. Netizens pointed out how, while #JusticeForZubeenGarg was over 2 million strong, the BJP campaign itself did not put forward the face of the artist it claimed to honour.

That is a brutal question: if any segment is politicizing Zubeen Garg's passing, it is that party attempting to cash in on public grief for optics. Slogans on behalf of the fan and constructed sympathies cannot substitute for accountability or transparency.

Theatrics of Emotion and Selective Narrative

Saikia introduced an emotional element, employing the slogan "Moi-o Zubeen Anuragi, Ami-o Zubeen Anuragi," claiming that the BJP is with all Assamese supporters. Appreciation is not action. The Assamese do not require slogans—they require facts:

Chronological account of events surrounding Zubeen’s death

Transparency into the first and second postmortems

Full disclosure of SIT interrogation and outcomes

Targeted timelines and court updates

Instead, the BJP has opted to resort to sentiment, to criticize media for "TRP chasing," and to blame opposition parties for milking the sentiments of sorrow. 

The Government's Own Slow Machinery

While protesting its own urgency, the BJP government has taken its own time in releasing information. A second postmortem, done to clear doubts, only after under pressure from the public. The SIT team going to Singapore as part of the investigation highlighting the complicated cross-border nature of the probe—but also making one wonder why this was not done earlier.

And while the BJP can claim 6.5 million party karyakartas and millions of social media followers engaged in a virtual campaign for Zubeen's justice. The irony is instructive: the same party that exercises control over all state investigative apparatus now wants to be validated by social media statistics, as if mass virtual action can substitute for responsibility in real space.

Judicial Process vs Political Spectacle

BJP continues to make the assertion time and again, "justice will be provided by the court, not politics." However, it has not been able to desist from politicizing Zubeen's death. Organizing press conferences, launching slogans, and attacking opposition politicians while ruling the state apparatus muddles the line between governing and electioneering.

All of this has nothing to do with support for Zubeen Garg—this is about the integrity of the system. Courts require evidence, not press conferences. SIT teams require time and space, not interference from politicians. The people of Assam require truth, not optics.

Opposition or Overshadowed Grief?

Saikia’s repeated accusations against Congress and media outlets attempt to frame them as morally culpable for “politicising” Zubeen’s death. Yet, opposition parties and journalists are not controlling the SIT, not conducting postmortems, and not holding the judiciary in their hands. It is the BJP that holds the levers of investigation and still chooses to wave slogans instead of disclosures. The real political malpractice lies not in critique but in the BJP’s monopolisation of grief for narrative control.

Even Saikia’s reference to Zubeen’s 1996–97 anti-corruption song subtly tries to anchor the artist’s legacy to the BJP’s political ethos. This is selective memory politics: Zubeen criticized every government, irrespective of party lines. To claim him as a BJP narrative figure is to distort the truth of his voice and his conscience.

The Public's Patience and Moral Reckoning

One month on, Assam is grieving in one voice—and in one voice, it is angry. The festival of lights, Diwali, has arrived, yet the atmosphere in the state remains sombre, heavy with grief over Zubeen Garg’s untimely passing. Slogans are not on demand; justice through transparency is being demanded. The government's attempt to substitute judicial restraint with emotional theatrics, hastily manufactured posters, and popular hashtags is not only insulting the memory of Zubeen Garg but also the intelligence of the public.

The demand of BJP to be a crusader of justice and at the same time investigate is an ugly irony: the ruling party cannot also dream of protesting without ending up in ridicule. 

Conclusion: Slogans Cannot Bring About Justice

Zubeen Garg was not only a artist; he was Assam's conscience, a voice, and a mirror to society. To politicise his death is not only cynical—it is unethical. And while the BJP speaks of courts and fast-track trials, it has turned mourning into optics, fans into foot soldiers, and hashtags into proof of virtue. There will not be justice through campaign or social media tweets; there will be justice through diligent investigation, open processes, and final accountability of the guilty.

Assam waits with bated breath. The people do. And until the judiciary speaks, all the rallies, all the placards, and all the hashtags are a reminder that politics never, ever replaces truth—and grief is not one party's monopoly.

Also Read: BJP Faces Backlash for Misspelling ‘Justice’ as #Justic in Zubeen Campaign