Assam Congress Scrutiny Committee Chairperson Priyanka Gandhi with Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Gaurav Gogoi at the Maa Kamakhya Temple during her two-day visit as the party prepares for the upcoming assembly elections in Guwahati. | Photo credit: ANI
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday (February 19, 2026) released a “people’s charge” against the “corrupt” Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in poll-bound Assam, accusing it of institutionalizing a “syndicate paradise” and giving away indigenous land to corporate houses.
The 20-page document captured the anguish of people across Assam, state Congress leaders said. It was released at a hall in Guwahati named after Manabendra Sarma, a Congress leader assassinated in the 1990s.
The indictment accused the BJP of setting up a parallel economy by encouraging and supporting illegal activities, including rat-hole coal mining, and turning Assam into a conduit for drugs, Burmese areca nuts and other contraband from international borders.
It alleged that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, ministers close to him and members of his family amassed illegal assets, created a “slush fund through an organized syndicate system” and invested the proceeds in real estate, shell companies and other businesses.
The document touched upon Assam’s “rising debts, irresponsible governance and financial mismanagement”. She said that the outstanding debt of the state has exceeded ₹ 2 lakh crore, which has increased the financial burden on the people and future generations.
“The government is borrowing not for reforms or productive investment, but to fund various perks aimed at electoral victory… Money of the people of Assam, which should have been used to build infrastructure and provide water, roads and basic amenities, is instead diverted and used primarily for political purposes,” the document said.
‘Stalled NRC’
The Congress also accused the BJP government of sabotaging the “generally accepted Assam Accord of 1985” and “deliberately not implementing Clause 6 which guarantees the protection of Assamese identity” despite repeated assurances.
The chargesheet alleged that the BJP had undermined the sanctity of the Assam Accord by introducing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Ordinance, 2025. It alleged that the BJP had stalled the National Register of Citizens (NRC) update exercise and blackmailed the fear of the psychosis community through the promotion of the official.
The document criticized the BJP for not declaring Assam’s persistent flooding and bank erosion problems a national disaster and highlighted the failure of the state government to create adequate jobs and grant Scheduled Tribe status to six communities – Chutia, Koch-Rajbongshi, Matak, Moran, Tai Ahom and Tea Tribes.
The document also says that the BJP has weakened and suppressed public education, leaving the children of the poor in the lurch. It pointed to the merger or closure of more than 9,000 state-run schools without instilling the confidence of the people.
Published – 19 Feb 2026 20:44 IST