The grief and outcry in Assam in the wake of music legend Zubeen Garg’s demise is turning into a key political issue with the Assembly elections in the state less than six months away.
Garg passed away at the age of 52 on September 19 when he was in Singapore for the North East India Festival (NEIF). He lost consciousness while swimming during an outing on a yacht, reportedly organised by the Assam Association Singapore, and was declared dead at hospital.
His body was received by lakhs of people in Guwahati, and drew huge crowds over the three days it was kept for people to pay their respects.
Now, even as the Assam Police probes Garg’s death, with multiple complaints filed at police stations across the state, questions are swirling over the circumstances of his demise. The campaign seeking ‘Justice for Zubeen’ has also acquired political overtones.
At the centre of the row is the NEIF organiser and director of an event management company, Shyamkanu Mahanta, who has already been arrested along with Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma. Mahanta, who belongs to an influential family, has organised a slew of such festivals in Delhi, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Singapore, in association with Indian embassies. He also holds an annual Rongali festival in Guwahati, which has been supported by the Assam Tourism Department on multiple occasions.
Garg’s fans are asking why he was taken to Singapore despite his “health concerns” and alleging he was “exploited” by Mahanta, with the latter coming under fire from both the ruling BJP and Opposition parties.
Sculptor Rudrankur Hazarika, who is with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has levelled allegations against persons close to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union DoNER minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
Raijor Dol leader Akhil Gogoi and Asom Jatiya Parishad’s Lurinjyoti Gogoi have demanded that there should be a CBI inquiry into the case, alleging “close ties” between the Sarma government and Mahanta. On Wednesday, Sarma’s wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma filed a criminal defamation case against Akhil Gogoi for alleging that one of her companies had organised a fashion event at the NEIF in Singapore, after Garg’s death.
In a bid to assuage public anger, Sarma, in a Facebook live video on September 27 – after a crowd demanding Mahanta and Siddharth Sharma’s arrest pelted stones at police vehicles – said: “The government and Assam Chief Minister are with you. The day I am unsuccessful, you can punish me. Some people are saying we will not vote (for the BJP) in 2026. That’s a correct thing, if we are not able to deliver justice for Zubeen, why would you vote for us?”
On October 1, both Mahanta and Sharma were arrested. Sharing the photos of them behind bars on social media, Cabinet Minister Pijush Hazarika stated: “Chief Minister… promised justice for Zubeen da and he delivered. From bringing his mortal remains home to Assam, ensuring a dignified and peaceful farewell, taking swift action with arrests, to firmly standing up against fringe elements who tried to misuse Zubeen da’s name for their agenda – every step was decisive.”
After the Assam Lawyers’ Association appealed to its members not to represent the accused in the case, Mahanta engaged Supreme Court advocate Raj Kamal to file a writ petition in the apex court, pleading that the investigation be transferred to a Central agency in view of “inflamed sentiments of the public and trial by media”.
Subsequently, the Assam BJP, in an X post, alleged that Mahanta had hired “a Congress bootlicker”; Raj Kamal had been the then Congress-led Punjab government’s deputy advocate general from 2017 to 2021.
Claiming that Mahanta was close to Assam Congress president and MP Gaurav Gogoi, the BJP’s social media handle alleged that the advocate’s services were the latter’s “way of saving” Mahanta. Sarma and Gaurav Gogoi are arch-rivals.
Continuing the war of words, Sarma said at a press conference Monday that he had last attended an event of Mahanta in 2015, and attacked Akhil Gogoi over his allegations against the government. “If people question why does he (Mahanta) have a photo with the Chief Minister, what answer can I give? Then I will have to chase away all the people who come to take photos with me.”
Gaurav Gogoi held a counter-press conference Tuesday, accusing Sarma of “diverting to other issues” and “trying to give a clean chit to Mahanta”. “People of Assam have one clear demand, justice for Zubeen Garg… There have been no steps by police to go to Singapore and question the Assam society persons there… People want to know whether Zubeen took medicines at night or not, did Zubeen want to go to Singapore or was he compelled, why was he not made to wear a life jacket, why Garima ba (Garg’s wife) was not able to go with him,” Gaurav said.
Linking the issue to the 2026 polls, he accused Sarma of “taking the investigation towards saving Mahanta” and of unleashing police force on fans. “If he (Sarma) continues to do such things… his party’s leadership will change him before the elections,” Gaurav said.
This in turn prompted Sarma to declare that he would “benefit” the most out of this row. The CM added: “Ten per cent of Zubeen’s fans have become my fans because I gave such respect to him. And I am also among Zubeen’s fans… I don’t want to do politics over this, but if you do politics, I am the one who will benefit.”