Guwahati: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday stressed the urgent need for a transparent investigation into the circumstances of Assam's beloved singer Zubeen Garg's death in Singapore.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited the Sonapur cremation site, on the outskirts of Guwahati, to pay tribute to the late singer Zubeen Garg.
Following a meeting with Zubeen Garg's family members at Kahilipara in Guwahati, Gandhi spoke to reporters, expressing his profound sorrow.
"It's very sad for me to come here under these circumstances. I mentioned to the family that I would have liked to come under better circumstances, happier circumstances,” Gandhi said, conveying his condolences to Zubeen's family members.
Drawing a heartfelt parallel, Gandhi likened Zubeen Garg to the majestic Kanchenjunga mountain, recalling a mountaineering course he undertook at age 17 in Sikkim.
“And what I liked about the mountain was it was honest, transparent, unshakable and beautiful,” he said.
He shared that a conversation with his colleague, Gaurav Gogoi, about the singer referring to himself as Kanchenjunga immediately resonated. "He had the qualities of Kanchenjunga," Gandhi asserted.
The Congress leader praised the late singer's humility despite his success. "He had wealth, he had success and he had humility which is something that Assam should be extremely proud of," he stated.
Gandhi said that he conveyed his thanks to Zubeen Garg’s father, acknowledging that his "wisdom, his support built Zubeenji and gave a voice to this wonderful state."
The focus of Gandhi’s interaction with the press quickly shifted to the need for clarity regarding the singer's death.
Zubeen Garg, 52, died in Singapore on September 19 while swimming in the sea and was cremated with state honours on September 23. The Assam government has formed an SIT to investigate the matter.
"I spoke to the family, and they only said one thing to me. That we have lost our Zubin and all we want is that the truth should be clear,” Gandhi disclosed.
He emphasized the collective desire for answers from the people who loved and were influenced by the singer: "They want to know what happened because they want closure."
Gandhi made a strong appeal to the Assam government, stating, “I think it is the duty of the government to quickly investigate what has happened, transparently investigate what has happened and tell the family... exactly what happened in Singapore.”
He assured the family—including Zubeen Garg's wife Garima Saikaia Garg, sister Palmi Borthakur, and father Kopil Borthakur—of the Congress party's full support. "I said that myself and the Congress party are there to support them in any way. And if there's anything we can do, we're more than happy to help.”
Gandhi offered his condolences to the people of Assam who have suffered this "cruel blow."
On being asked if he would demand the Bharat Ratna for Zubeen Garg, he reiterated his primary objective: “I don't want to digress. I don't want to take the discussion away from offering condolences or from telling the people of Assam that we love Zubeen Garg... But first, we want transparency and justice. What happened in Singapore? Everybody in a sense should know. And the sooner it happens the better it is.”
