'Don’t Trap People in ₹1 Politics,' Pawan Khera Slams Himanta Biswa Sarma

Congress leader Pawan Khera has launched a sharp attack on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, accusing him of misleading the people of the state on key economic and land-related issues and diverting attention through what he termed “trivial gestures”.

In a post on X, Khera criticised Sarma over remarks suggesting the payment of ₹4 instead of ₹5 to members of the “Miya” community, calling it insignificant in the face of what he described as far more serious governance failures. “Paying ₹4 instead of ₹5 to ‘Miyaan’ will not make the people of Assam rich,” Khera wrote, dismissing the claim as political posturing.

Himanta Biswa Sarma is once again trying to fool the people of Assam.

Paying ₹4 instead of ₹5 to “Miyaan” will not make the people of Assam rich. But the sale of over 1.5 lakh bighas of Sixth Schedule–protected land and Assamese identity to corporate interests by that… pic.twitter.com/6cOnNuDUKj

— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) January 28, 2026

The Congress leader argued that marginal handouts could not improve Assam’s economy, while alleging that the state had suffered grave losses due to the sale of more than 1.5 lakh bighas of land protected under the Sixth Schedule to corporate interests. He also accused the government of weakening Assamese identity, saying such actions had eroded both the economic and cultural foundations of the state.

Escalating his criticism, Khera accused the BJP-led government of large-scale mismanagement of public resources. “Don’t keep people tangled in a debate over ₹1. Answer the questions about the thousands of crores taken from the people of Assam,” he said, directly targeting the chief minister.

The remarks come days after Sarma urged people to put pressure on the Miya community, referring to Muslims of East Bengal origin in Assam, and suggested that they should be paid less. The chief minister had also stated that he deliberately takes steps that irritate the community, including measures related to electoral roll revisions, which he described as a way of asserting Assamese dominance.

Meanwhile, the ongoing Specialised Revision (SR) of electoral rolls in Assam has drawn criticism, with allegations that the process is riddled with irregularities and has led to genuine citizens being harassed through the deletion of their names from voter lists.

The exchange underscores rising political tensions in Assam as elections approach, with the Congress and BJP locked in an increasingly confrontational battle over land rights, cultural identity and allegations of corruption. The issue of Sixth Schedule–protected land, particularly in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts, has emerged as a major flashpoint, reigniting debates over governance, corporate influence and the protection of tribal interests in the region.

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