Akhil Gogoi apologises for comment on pro-BJP Muslim voters

MLA Akhil Gogoi. File.
| Photo Credit: PTI

GUWAHATI

Sibsagar MLA and Raijor Dal president has apologised for saying Muslims who vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party are kafirs and would be punished by God.

He made this remark while campaigning for the panchayat polls in areas under the Naoboicha Assembly constituency in northeastern Assam’s Lakhimpur district on Saturday (April 26, 2025).

The comment triggered criticisms within and beyond his party, making Mr Gogoi issue an “unconditional apology” on social media platforms in a late-night address.

“I deviated from progressive and rational thinking to make a statement I should not have. I made a mistake and seek forgiveness from all,” he said with folded hands.

An activist-turned-politician who was jailed in 2019 for alleged instigation during the violent anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act movement in Assam, Mr Gogoi has been making headlines in the run-up to the panchayat polls scheduled for May 2 and 7.

He first attacked the Badruddin Ajmal-led All India United Democratic Front, calling it the “B-team” of the BJP and complementing the latter’s communal politics. He then called Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma a man who thrives on creating divisions.

The Raijor Dal chief also targeted the leaders of his party’s ally, Congress, for not adhering to the principles of alliance, particularly in the Sivasagar district. He suggested a political alignment between Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and the BJP.