Delhi: A fresh political storm has erupted in Assam just weeks before the Assembly elections after a Congress-backed website targeting Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma went offline shortly after its launch, prompting the Chief Minister to announce imminent defamation action against senior opposition leaders.
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) had unveiled a new digital platform during a high-profile press conference in Guwahati, projecting it as a forum to question the public record of the Chief Minister. However, party leaders claimed the website became inaccessible within minutes, alleging deliberate interference.
APCC leader Bedabrata Borah confirmed that the portal was still not functional and said the party’s technical team was working to restore it. Congress leaders accused unidentified “vested interests” of attempting to block public access to information ahead of the elections.
The launch event saw the presence of Congress heavyweight Bhupesh Baghel, AICC’s Assam in-charge Jitendra Singh, APCC president Gaurav Gogoi and Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia, underlining the party’s intent to make the issue central to its campaign. A political video questioning Sarma’s leadership was also released at the event.
Reacting sharply, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma declared that he would initiate both civil and criminal defamation proceedings starting February 9. In a public statement, he accused Congress leaders of spreading “baseless and defamatory narratives” and warned that political allegations would now face judicial scrutiny.
“The era of hit-and-run politics is over. If they have even an ounce of courage or evidence, let them prove every allegation in a court of law,” Sarma said, asserting that he would not be deterred by what he termed political theatrics.
Congress leaders, however, doubled down on their claims. Gaurav Gogoi alleged that large-scale land acquisitions involving the Chief Minister’s family warranted public explanation and insisted that all submissions received through the portal would be verified before disclosure. He said the party would release further details in phases.
Bhupesh Baghel launched a blistering attack, accusing the Assam government of allowing unchecked corporate influence and claimed that governance in the state had been reduced to a business model. Jitendra Singh alleged that multiple firms and land transactions linked to the Chief Minister’s family needed independent investigation.
The Congress also accused rival forces of running coordinated misinformation campaigns online using fake media branding and announced QR-code-based digital outreach to amplify its allegations.
