Guwahati, February 5: Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday alleged that the family of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has occupied nearly 12,000 bighas (over 3,960 acres) of land across Assam, claims to which the ruling BJP has not issued an immediate response.
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| Congress leaders during a press conference, at Rajiv Bhawan. (AT Photo) |
Addressing a press conference at Rajiv Bhawan here, Gogoi said the Congress had conducted an internal investigation that led to what he described as “startling revelations.” “Almost 12,000 bighas of land have been occupied by the Chief Minister and his family across Assam,” he alleged, adding that the figure was not final as the exercise was still ongoing.
Gogoi further announced that the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has launched an “abhiyan” to trace the sources of the Chief Minister’s assets. As part of the campaign, the party has unveiled a website titled Who Is HBS to collect information related to Sarma’s assets and appealed to the public to share inputs. A QR code has been introduced for digital submissions, along with a helpline number - 9133400200 - or sharing details.
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The Jorhat MP also claimed that Sarma had revived allegations regarding Gogoi’s purported links with Pakistan to “cover up” the alleged land scam. Referring to Sarma’s earlier assertion that evidence would be made public by September 10, 2025, Gogoi questioned the delay. “Why did he not do it on September 10 last year? He has been sleeping for five months and has suddenly remembered my Pakistan links,” he said, adding that the move was aimed at diverting attention as the Congress prepares a dossier on alleged corruption and land grabbing by Sarma and his family.
Meanwhile, even before the press conference concluded, APCC media department chairman Bedabrata Bora alleged that the newly launched website had been hacked, claiming it briefly displayed the message “HBS 2.0.” Bora alleged the hacking was carried out by the BJP’s IT cell. There was no immediate response from the BJP to this claim.
Reacting strongly, Sarma announced that he would initiate both civil and criminal defamation proceedings on February 9, 2026, against Gogoi and other opposition leaders. In a post on social media, the Chief Minister said the statements made at the press conference were “false, malicious and defamatory,” and challenged the leaders to prove their allegations in a court of law. He asserted that he would not be intimidated by what he described as propaganda, coordinated slander, or political theatrics.
