Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Friday strongly criticized Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over remarks related to the voting rights of the “Miya” community, calling the comments “shameless” and “dishonest” as the political temperature rises ahead of the state Assembly elections scheduled for April.

Gogoi’s response came after Sarma reportedly suggested that the votes of lakhs of “Miyas” could be removed before the election. The term “Miya” is widely viewed as a derogatory reference to Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam, many of whom are often accused by political leaders of having crossed over illegally from Bangladesh. Sarma’s remarks sparked sharp reactions from opposition leaders and rights advocates.

Taking to social media platform X, Gogoi accused the Chief Minister of deliberately misleading the public and misusing the authority of the Supreme Court to justify his statements. He alleged that Sarma falsely claimed his comments were based on the court’s observations in a case involving former Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

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“He claims to rely on the honorable court’s ‘own words’ from the Sonowal case, but this is a blatant lie,” Gogoi wrote, asserting that the Chief Minister was distorting judicial references for political gain. The Congress MP said such statements undermined constitutional institutions and deepened social divisions in the state.

The controversy comes at a politically sensitive moment, with Sarma seeking a second term in office and aiming to secure another Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) victory in Assam. Citizenship, migration, and voter eligibility have remained central and polarizing themes in the state’s politics over the past decade.

While the Assam government has not issued a fresh clarification on the remarks, the exchange has intensified the ongoing debate over electoral integrity, minority rights, and the role of political rhetoric in the run-up to the Assembly elections. The issue is expected to remain a flashpoint as campaigning gathers momentum.

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