GUWAHATI: The political landscape in Assam has witnessed heightened tensions as Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of complicity and silence over rampant illegal coal mining between Assam and Meghalaya.
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Taking to X on Saturday, April 26, Gogoi questioned Sarma’s dual role as chief minister and convenor of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), claiming that the state's leadership was deliberately sidestepping the issue. He alleged that around 1,200 tonnes of coal are moved daily, with bribes ranging from ₹1.27 lakh to ₹1.5 lakh per truck, and pointed to widespread use of fake invoices and hoarding of undeclared cash.
“Is this loot possible without the government's protection?” Gogoi said. “Who is Assam’s real Syndicate Raja? When ED raids & HC summons expose the truth, how long will the CM hide behind denials?”
He also challenged whether the chief minister would instruct the state police to act against individuals politically linked to the coal syndicate. Gogoi criticised the government’s response, drawing a parallel with the ED’s electoral bond investigations, and remarked that “ED” could soon stand for “Extortion Department.”
In response, Chief Minister Sarma accused the Congress party of hypocrisy, pointing out the contradiction between its national leadership's criticism of the ED and Gogoi’s current reliance on the agency’s findings.
“The Congress party today stands thoroughly exposed on the issue of the Enforcement Directorate (ED),” Sarma posted on X on the same day. “On one hand, @RahulGandhi and his camp are relentlessly maligning the ED, calling it a political tool. On the other hand, their own Deputy Leader is busy glorifying the very same agency. This doublespeak reflects the utter confusion and hypocrisy within Congress. In contrast, our position is principled and unwavering — we support all investigating agencies, regardless of whether their actions favour us or go against us.”
The ED recently seized ₹1.58 crore in cash and uncovered evidence of daily illegal extraction of over 1,200 tonnes of coal at Margherita, Jogighopa, and Guwahati. Investigations also revealed the use of depots and fake invoices to disguise illegally mined coal as legitimate transactions. Links between coal syndicates in Assam and Meghalaya were also confirmed, with raids conducted at 15 locations.
With the current investigation underway, the political debate in Assam over illegal coal mining is expected to intensify.
