Assam Deserves Answers on Zubeen’s Condition in Singapore: Rahul Gandhi
"The sooner the truth comes out, the better in Zubeen Garg's case, as the family needs closure," Gandhi said, after visiting the singer's family at their Kahilipara residence here.
Guwahati: Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi who here on Friday paid tribute to singer Zubeen Garg at his memorial in Sonapur said that Zubeen Garg's family and the people of Assam have the right to know what happened to him in Singapore.
Mr Gandhi who also visited the Kahilipara residence of the late singer and met Ms Garima Garg, wife of Zubeen Garg and other family members said, “The sooner the truth comes out, the better in Zubeen Garg's case, as the family needs closure.”
He asserted, “It is the duty of the Assam government to transparently investigate and tell the family exactly what happened in Singapore.”
“The family has lost Zubeen, and they only want the truth to come out,” said Mr Gandhi.
Earlier Mr Gandhi who was received by Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President Gaurav Gogoi at the Guwahati Airportwent to Mr Garg’s memorial in Komarkuchi, Sonapur. Mr Gandhi offered a 'gamosa', the traditional Assamese scarf, and a wreath at the platform where the singer was cremated.
Apart from Mr Gogoi, he was accompanied by 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.
The Congress leader also planted a 'nahor' (Indian rose chestnut) sapling, which the singer was fond of, at the cremation ground.
Meanwhile, amid the alleged efforts by the opposition parties to corner the ruling BJP in Assam over investigation into Zubeen Garg's death, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “ Congress leader has found time after 28 days of the incident but I still welcome him. We expected a senior leader of the Congress, be it Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi to attend Zubeen Garg's cremation but they did not come.”
The opposition parties including Congress have been demanding that the investigation be handed over to the CBI.
In a related development a two-member team of the SIT probing the death of singer Zubeen Garg will visit Singapore and meet officials there on October 21. The Singapore authorities granted the permission after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar talked to authorities in the country. The Assam government has also decided to appoint a special public prosecutor exclusively for the Zubeen Garg death case. The state cabinet on Thursday decided to request Gauhati High Court to set up a fast track court for speedy trial of the case.
