Guwahati, Jan 15: Assam Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia responded sharply to allegations made by former All Assam Minorities Students’ Union president Rejaul Karim Sarkar, stating that he had openly opposed Sarkar’s remarks on the very day the latter joined the Congress. Saikia said Dhubri and Sivasagar each possessed a distinct cultural character that should not be interfered with.
Reacting to claims that he was a BJP agent, an agent of the Assam Chief Minister, or anti-minority, Saikia said he could not decide whether to “laugh or cry” at the accusations. He added that if such allegations were true, the Congress would have taken action against him at some point over the past ten years.
Saikia’s comments came a day after Sarkar resigned from the Indian National Congress, citing serious ideological and moral differences with the party’s senior leadership in Assam. In his resignation letter dated January 14, 2026, addressed to Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi, Sarkar said he had joined the party inspired by its secular values, inclusive politics and commitment to the Constitution.
However, Sarkar alleged that recent statements and public positions taken by senior leaders, particularly Debabrata Saikia and Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi, had caused him deep moral and ideological distress. He claimed that these developments demoralised him and damaged his public image.
In his letter, Sarkar alleged that the conduct of the two leaders resembled that of “BJP agents,” making it untenable for him to continue within the party. “Under these circumstances, I find it difficult to continue my association with the party,” he wrote, resigning from the primary membership of the Congress with immediate effect while wishing the party well.
The public exchange highlighted emerging internal tensions within the Assam Congress, following Sarkar’s brief stint with the party and adding to the leadership’s challenges ahead of the next electoral cycle.
