"I am ashamed...": Himanta Biswa Sarma rebukes Gaurav Gogoi for ‘embarrassing’ Assam in LS

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma criticised Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi over his remarks during the debate on the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, calling the speech "shameful" and "deeply embarrassing for Assam."
 

The chief minister, during a press briefing on April 4, indirectly referred to Gogoi’s speech demanding that the Muslim community be allowed to offer namaz on roads, and said that it triggered numerous calls from people across the world, questioning the nature of discourse in the state. 

"It is a matter of shame for me. People called from across the world asking what kind of people are representing us in the Sansad," Sarma said, further stating, "I apologise to the people of the country on behalf of the MP who spoke rubbish (anaap-shanaap) in Parliament."
 

CM Sarma firmly refuted the notion that such a demand had ever been made in Assam. "In Assam, Muslims have never demanded the right to offer namaz on the streets. We have good mosques and Eidgahs where prayers are offered peacefully, without any trouble," he said.
 

The chief minister questioned the intent behind Gogoi’s remarks, suggesting that they tend to tarnish the state's image. "The kind of statements he made — we could never have imagined that someone who calls himself a descendant of Lachit Borphukan would say such things in Parliament. I feel ashamed."
 

Sarma also urged the people of Assam to take note of such statements and "teach him a lesson at the right time" through democratic means.
 

The Waqf Amendment Bill, passed recently, has sparked heated debates across the country.