War of words between Assam chief minister and Congress MP over damaged embankments

Assam's flood crisis sparks political clash between Chief Minister and Congress MP over embankment failures and corruption allegations.

GUWAHATI

Assam’s flood woes caused by the breaching of several strategic embankments in districts such as Golaghat and Nagaon have triggered a war of words between Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Gaurav Gogoi, the Congress MP from Jorhat.

After touring some flood-affected areas in eastern Assam’s Dibrugarh, Mr. Gogoi said Thursday the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government was using the Water Resources Department like an ATM. He accused the BJP Ministers of striking deals with contractors to siphon off money from the department and make the most of the people’s misery.

The Chief Minister reacted after inspecting the flood-hit areas of Dibrugarh on Friday. “Fewer embankments have been breached this year. The ones that gave way were constructed during the Congress era. I can do nothing if someone indirectly insults his father,” he told journalists.

He referred to former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, the Jorhat MP’s father.

Mr. Sarma asserted that his government was not responsible for the embankments that failed to withstand the force of water over two waves of flood.

Taking to social media a few days ago, he said the damage in some flood-prone areas of Assam was exacerbated by water cutting through at least eight embankments.