GUWAHATI: A Bharatiya Janata Party MLA has filed a first information report against former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for claiming he had shielded the state’s current Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma from several scams while he was in the Congress.
Mr. Sarma, once Mr. Gogoi’s blue-eyed boy, left the Congress in August 2015 and join the BJP. The two had fallen out in 2014 after Mr. Gogoi reportedly promoted his son – Lok Sabha member Gaurav Gogoi – as his successor in the party.
“I lodged an FIR against the former CM at the Dispur police station today (Tuesday) because if he claims he shielded Mr. Sarma, he committed a criminal offence despite taking oath to uphold the provisions of the Constitution,” Pijush Hazarika, the BJP legislator representing Jagiroad Assembly constituency, told The Hindu.
Mr. Hazarika was one of 10 Congress MLAs who followed Mr. Sarma to the BJP.
Last week, Mr. Gogoi told reporters in New Delhi that he was guilty of protecting Mr. Sarma from many scams.
“Himanta joined the Congress to save his skin from an Arms Act case. He joined the BJP to save himself from the Louis Berger scam. There were allegations of his involvement in North Cachar Hills (autonomous council) scam and Saradha (chit fund) scam. But I turned a blind eye every time,” he had said.
Reacting to the FIR, the former Chief Minister said: “If I am accused of saving Sarma from criminal offences, then they agree with the allegations against him.”
