Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP) president Lurinjyoti Gogoi on Tuesday clarified that a man recently accused in a kidnapping and extortion case has no connection with the AJP anymore and is now actively working with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Speaking to reporters during the Chhath Puja celebrations in Khwang, Gogoi said that the accused individual had been expelled from the AJP long ago for his involvement in unethical and criminal activities. He explained that after being removed from the AJP, the person joined the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and later switched to the BJP.
“We had expelled that person a long time back for his wrongdoings. After being removed from our party, he joined AGP and then BJP. He has been active in the BJP for quite some time now. He was involved in extortion earlier as well, and that is exactly why we threw him out,” Gogoi told reporters. 
The AJP chief’s clarification came amid a growing political controversy surrounding the recent extortion and kidnapping case, which also reportedly involved members of the Veer Lachit Sena. Several people have been arrested in connection with the case.
Following the arrests, Rantu Paniphukan, the chief secretary of the Veer Lachit Sena, claimed that one of the accused was linked to the BJP. He also shared photographs as evidence to support his claim. However, soon after, new images appeared on social media showing the same individual attending an AJP meeting, which triggered a fresh wave of political debate.
Reacting to these developments, Gogoi said that certain people were trying to twist facts and use selective images to create confusion. He also accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of trying to distract people from important issues by making provocative statements.
When asked about the Chief Minister’s recent remark hinting that the Veer Lachit Sena might be banned, Gogoi said that such comments were meant to divert public attention.
“The Chief Minister wants to shift public mood away from serious matters. If someone praises him, he welcomes it, but if anyone questions him logically, he responds with personal attacks. That has become his habit,” Gogoi said.
He further added that the people of Assam were not interested in political blame games but wanted justice and transparency, especially regarding the death of singer Zubeen Garg.
“Let it be clear, we will not allow the Chief Minister to politically divert this issue. The people of Assam want the truth and justice for Zubeen Garg’s death. The government cannot make random statements to change the focus,” he said.
Gogoi also criticised the Chief Minister for ignoring public concerns.
“He speaks about things that should not be said and avoids the things that really matter,” he added.
