Sought 'dua' before joining BJP: Congress attacks Himanta over Bangladesh cleric link

The Congress on Tuesday stepped up its attack on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, with party leader Pawan Khera claiming that Sarma had met a Bangladeshi Islamic cleric in 2015 and acted on his advice before joining the BJP. Replying to his earlier post on X, Khera alleged that Sarma was a “devotee” of Dewan Muhammad Saidur Rahman Chisti Saidabadi, the head of the Chistia Saidia Darbar Sharif in Dhaka, and had sought his guidance at a critical point in his political career.

According to Khera, Sarma met Dewan Chisti in 2015, after resigning from the Congress and while being uncertain about joining the BJP. He claimed Sarma shared his personal and political problems with the cleric and sought ‘dua’ or prayers. Khera further alleged that the cleric advised Sarma to join the BJP, an advice he claimed Sarma followed when he joined the party in August 2015. “The rest is history now,” Khera said in the post.

QUESTIONS ON FOREIGN LINKS

Building on the claim, Khera raised a fresh set of questions, asking whether Sarma had met the cleric in Bangladesh and, if so, why the visit was not disclosed publicly. He also questioned whether the interaction had influenced Sarma’s political rise and whether the Chief Minister continued to receive “advice or directions from across the border”.

Khera went on to allege that Sarma could be “susceptible to foreign manipulation”, framing the issue as one with national security implications.

EARLIER POST AND PHOTO CLAIM

The second post followed Khera’s earlier claim that he had received a photograph purportedly showing Sarma with Dewan Chisti. In that post, Khera alleged that the cleric was linked to a Jamaat-e-Islami–led coalition in Bangladesh, which he described as historically pro-Pakistan and ideologically committed to establishing Shariah law.

While stopping short of a direct accusation, Khera said the photograph raised questions about when and why the meeting took place and why it was not disclosed if there was nothing objectionable about it.

PART OF ESCALATING BJP-CONGRESS ROW

The exchange comes amid an intensifying political confrontation between the BJP and the Congress in Assam, marked by sharp allegations of links to Pakistan and national security concerns.

The war of words escalated after Chief Minister Sarma recently alleged that Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi’s wife had links to Pakistan, a charge Gogoi denied. Gogoi accused Sarma of dragging his minor children into the controversy and attempting to divert attention from other issues, including allegations related to land linked to the Chief Minister’s family.

Gogoi has also questioned the timing of Sarma’s allegations, claiming that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) report cited by the Chief Minister did not substantiate claims linking him to Pakistan and had been withheld for months.

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