Guwahati (Assam) [India], March 22 (ANI): Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika on Sunday alleged that Congress workers committed a 'heinous act' by disrespecting singer Zubeen Garg at a Congress office in Bijni.

In a post on X, Hazarika claimed that the incident took place at the Indian National Congress's Assam unit office in Bijni, where, he said, party workers disrespected the artist. He termed the act 'an assault on the sentiments of Assam.'

https://x.com/Pijush_hazarika/status/2035677852402929862?s=20

'Today in INC Assam Bijni Office, Congress workers committed this heinous act of disrespecting Beloved Zubeen. This is an assault on sentiments of Assam,' Hazarika said in his post.

The minister further alleged that the Congress had used the singer's name during the election season and accused the party of duplicity. 'This comes after Cong milked his name in the entire election season. Now their duplicity stands exposed,' he added.

The post included a video purportedly showing an individual vandalising a poster of the singer inside a room.

Zubeen Garg passed away in Singapore on September 19, 2025. The singer was 'severely intoxicated' and had drowned in the waters off Lazarus Island after declining a life jacket, a Coroner's court was told, according to a report by Lydia Lam in Channel NewsAsia (CNA).

The iconic singer, 52, was at a yacht party on September 19, 2025, and initially wore a life jacket but removed it and later declined to put on a second one offered to him, the chief investigating officer told the court in the opening of the inquiry, according to the news report.

At the time of the incident, he was 'heavily intoxicated', and several witnesses saw him attempting to swim back to the yacht before he went limp and began floating face-down in the water, the report said.

Assam will witness the polling for all 126 Assembly constituencies in a single phase on April 9, while the counting of votes is scheduled for May 4, the Election Commission of India announced.

Earlier in the day, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Gaurav Gogoi characterised the upcoming state elections as a showdown between 'the Congress led by Tarun Gogoi and the Congress led by Himanta Biswa Sarma', alleging that the current BJP government is merely a faction of the former grand old party led by Chief Minister Sarma.

While interacting with the media during his campaign in Majuli in support of Indian National Congress candidate Indranil Pegu, he said, 'What stands before us is a Congress led by Himanta Biswa Sarma, merely carrying the BJP tag. The leaders who did wrong during Tarun Gogoi's tenure are now in the BJP. This election will be a fight between the Congress led by Tarun Gogoi and the Congress led by Himanta Biswa Sarma.'

The APCC President further claimed, 'There is no BJP in Assam now. What exists is a Congress under Himanta Biswa Sarma with a BJP label. Under his leadership, some former Congress leaders have gathered at Vajpayee Bhawan, striving hard to contest elections for their own and their families' interests. On the other hand, we represent a Congress inspired by the ideals of Tarun Gogoi.' (ANI)