Guwahati, Dec 6: Manoj Chauhan, All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary and Co-Incharge of Assam, on Friday accused Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of corruption and administrative mismanagement during a press conference.

Chauhan alleged that Sarma possesses undisclosed properties in Assam, across India, and abroad. He also questioned the source of wealth accumulated by Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, claiming she acquired significant assets and multiple companies only after Sarma became a minister and later Chief Minister. Chauhan further criticized Sarma’s earlier statements about relying financially on his wife.

Addressing the Zubeen Garg murder case, Chauhan criticized the Chief Minister and the Home Department for the delayed acknowledgment of the artist’s death, stating that Sarma took 75 days to admit the truth after initially rejecting it, highlighting administrative lapses.

Chauhan also raised concerns over the state government’s silence on the demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for six communities and ongoing issues at Tezpur University. He accused the Chief Minister of engaging in divisive politics and misleading the public on the ST status issue ahead of elections. Chauhan urged the public to remain vigilant against attempts to mislead voters and restrict electoral rights in Assam.

Meanwhile, the Assam Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) is preparing to submit the chargesheet in the Zubeen Garg death case. A senior SIT official confirmed that the chargesheet is nearly ready, with a final submission deadline of December 18. Chief Minister Sarma stated that the chargesheet would be filed between December 6 and 12, stressing the importance of timely submission to prevent suspects from obtaining bail.

So far, seven individuals, including event organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta and Zubeen Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma, have been arrested in connection with the case.