New Delhi: Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi a day ago on February 4, alleged that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s family had grabbed around 12,000 bighas of land across the state.This amounts to over 3,960 acres.Sarma, who has recently garnered criticism from former Supreme Court judges to civil society, for asking for a system of religious apartheid to be brought to the state, finds himself once again at the centre of allegations.The chief minister has now said that he will file a defamation case against Assam Congress leaders, including Gogoi.Gogoi said that Sarma’s reaction showed that he was scared. “If he has courage he should fight us in the court of public opinion instead of seeking refuge,” he said on X.Land scamAddressing a press conference in Guwahati, the Congress’s deputy leader in the Lok Sabha also claimed that the chief minister has alleged that Gogoi has links to Pakistan to cover up a land scam.“The Congress has done an investigation, and it yielded some startling revelations. Almost 12,000 bighas of land have been occupied by the CM and his family across the state,” he said, according to PTI’s repot on the presser.The Congress has launched a website – ‘www.whoishbs.com’ – listing allegations of Sarma’s corruption and land grab details. The BJP’s Assam wing X account had initially shared this link in a post, but has now deleted it. The website has a number through which people can call the Congress with complaints.Gogoi said that the Congress’s investigations into the land grab are ongoing and appealed to the public to share information related to land purchases by Sarma’s family.“He has occupied agricultural land and then changed the title to industrial land. Once the Congress government is formed after this Assembly elections, we will probe all these cases,” Gogoi was quoted by PTI as having added.Gogoi said in the presser that Sarma “has made selling Assam a family business.”“There are 17 companies owned by his family. He has given 40,000 bighas of land to Adanis, Ambanis and Patanjali. There is HBS Tax on every goods and items that contractors give to him for awarding projects,” he alleged.Gogoi’s press meet was also addressed by the leader of the opposition in Assam assembly, Debabrata Saikia, All India Congress Committee general secretary (in-charge of Assam), Jitendra Singh, and former Chhattisgarh chief minister, Bhupesh Baghel.PTI has reported that Baghel alleged that Sarma has only cheated the people of the state in the last five years. “What (Narendra) Modi is doing in Delhi, Himanta Biswa Sarma is doing the same here. They are handing over all properties to Adanis and Ambanis, and creating hardship for the people,” he added.Saikia said despite the propaganda that he is the most successful chief minister of Assam, all the departments like education, health and PWD handled by Sarma since his Congress tenure are the worst performing.‘Defamation’In response, Sarma did not speak on the details of the allegations but announced on social media that he will file a defamation case against top Congress leaders “for making false and malicious statements.”“I am initiating civil and criminal defamation proceedings on 9 February 2026 against @JitendraSAlwar, @bhupeshbaghel, @GauravGogoiAsm and @DsaikiaOfficial for making false, malicious and defamatory statements against me in today’s press conference,” Sarma said in a post on X.“The era of hit-and-run politics is over. If they have even an ounce of courage or evidence, let them prove every allegation before a court of law,” Sarma said. “I will not be intimidated by propaganda, coordinated slander, or political theatrics of so called slaves of Gandhi family.”Gogoi also responded on X. “It is plain to see Himanta Biswa Sarma has got scared by our press conference today. Soon the details of his corruption and wealth will be made public in every village of Assam. If he has courage he should fight us in the court of public opinion instead of seeking refuge,” he wrote.“P.S. I do not want to comment on hit and run,” he added.