Guwahati, Oct 17 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said Zubeen Garg’s family and the people of Assam have the right to know what happened to him in Singapore.
“The sooner the truth comes out, the better in Garg’s case, as the family needs closure,” Gandhi said, after visiting the singer’s family at their Kahilipara residence here.
It is the duty of the Assam government to “quickly and transparently investigate and tell the family exactly what happened in Singapore”, the former Congress chief said.
Garg died while swimming in the sea in Singapore on September 19.
”I spoke to the family and they only said one thing – we have lost our Zubeen and all we want is that the truth should be clear. We who love him so much, and the people of Assam who heard him, whose lives he changed and also loved him, want to know what happened because they want closure,” he said.
The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha said it was very sad for him to come to Assam under these circumstances.
”I mentioned to the family that I would have liked to come under better, happier circumstances,” Gandhi said.
The Congress leader said when he was 17 years old, he had gone for a mountaineering course in Sikkim, and “every day when we went for training, we would see Mt Kanchenjunga in front of us, and what I liked about the mountain was it was honest, transparent, unshakeable and beautiful”.
”Today, when I was coming here, Gaurav (Gogoi) mentioned that ‘Zubeenji had said that he was the Kanchenjunga’ and immediately it connected with me. He was like the mountain as he had the same qualities,” he said.
Garg had directed and starred in the 2019 Assamese film ‘Kanchenjunga’, about a rebellious young man fighting a corrupt system. His dialogue in the film ‘Moi Kanchanjunga’ (I am Kanchanjunga) became hugely popular.
”Zubeen Da was like Kanchenjunga – honest, unshakable, and beautiful. India and Assam have lost not just an artist, but a towering soul who touched countless hearts”, the Congress leader later posted on ‘X’.
”Zubeen Da’s family, and the people of Assam, deserve nothing less than truth and justice. The government must ensure a swift and transparent investigation”, he said.
Gandhi said he stands with Garg’s ”family in their grief, and offer my full support in every way possible”.
”You can see the worth of a person in their house. He had wealth, success and humility of which Assam should be extremely proud of,” Gandhi said.
Gandhi said he mentioned to Garg’s father that ”his wisdom and support had built Zubeen, who gave a voice to this wonderful state, and we all thank him and his entire family for what they have done, not just for Assam, but for the whole country”.
”I told the family that myself and the Congress are there to support them in any way. If there is anything we can do, we are more than happy to help,” he said.
The Congress leader said he also wanted to offer his condolences to the people of Assam who have ”suffered this cruel blow without expecting it. Out of the blue, you have lost someone so important and someone you loved. I stand with you in your grief”.
Asked whether the singer should be honoured with Bharat Ratna, Gandhi said, ”I do not want to digress or take away the discussion from offering condolences and telling the people that we love Zubeen Garg.” “We want and wish to honour him, but first, we want transparency and justice,” he said.
The former Congress chief, on a day-long visit to Guwahati, paid tributes to the singer at the site where his last rites were performed at Sonapur on the outskirts of Guwahati.
Gandhi offered a ‘gamosa’, the traditional Assamese scarf, and a wreath at the platform where the singer was cremated.
He was accompanied by Assam Pradesh Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, AICC general secretary and Assam in-charge Jitendra Singh, leader of the opposition in the legislative assembly Debabrata Saikia and other senior state leaders of the party.
As Gandhi offered tribute to the singer, the crowd present at the site shouted slogans – ‘Justice for Zubeen’ and ‘Jai Zubeen’.
Gandhi and the other Congress leaders sat on the ground and attended the ‘naam-kirtan’ (prayers) held there. He also lit a lamp at the cremation site.
The Congress leader also planted a ‘nahor’ (Indian rose chestnut) sapling, which the singer was fond of, at the cremation ground.
Garg, 52, died in Singapore while swimming in the sea on September 19. He was cremated with state honours on September 23 at Sonapur.
The Assam government formed an SIT and a one-man inquiry commission, heade by Justice Soumitra Saikia, for investigating the circumstances that led to his death. PTI DG RBT DG MNB
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