Assam's Ashok Singhal faces heat over ‘gobi farming’ post linked to riots

Assam Cabinet Minister’s Ashok Singhal’s use of 'gobi farming' imagery following NDA’s victory in the Bihar Assembly elections drew severe criticism from the Opposition who alleged that it was an apparent reference to the Bhagalpur communal riots where alleged mass killings of Muslims took place in Bhagalpur, Bihar, in 1989 and cauliflower saplings were planted on the graves to conceal the evidence. Singhal, in a post on X on Friday afternoon (November 14), had shared a photograph of cauliflower farming with the caption "Bihar approves Gobi farming".

‘A new low’, says Gaurav Gogoi

Lashing out at Singhal over his use of ‘gobi farming’ imagery, state Congress president and party's deputy leader in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, said that it marked a “new low in political discourse,” adding that such a mindset is promoted by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, whom he accused of harbouring hatred for Indian minorities.

"The use of 'gobi farming' imagery by a sitting cabinet minister of Assam in the wake of the Bihar election results marks a shocking new low in political discourse. It is both vulgar and shameful." He maintained that the image is "widely associated with the Logain massacre of 1989, where 116 Muslims were killed and their bodies concealed under cauliflower plantations during the Bhagalpur violence,” said Gogoi in a post on X.

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"To invoke such a tragedy in this manner shows how far some are willing to descend in public life," Gogoi said. He alleged that such a mindset is promoted by Chief Minister Sarma, who has "a hatred for Indian minorities".

"This is not what Assam is. Assam is the land of Mahapurush Sankardev, Lachit Borphukan and Azaan Pir," stated Gogoi. “And next year the people of Assam will end the rule of hate and greed," he added, alluding to the coming Assembly election.

‘Approved by PMO’, says TMC

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale, in a post on X, claimed that such posts have the approval of the prime minister.

"Gobi farming" refers to glorifying the mass killing of Muslims in Bhagalpur, Bihar, in 1989. A cauliflower farm was planted on the graves to hide evidence," he alleged.

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Emphasising that it was a "Modi's BJP Minister from Assam" who shared the photograph, Gokhale added, "Not some fringe element. Clearly, @PMOIndia approves this. The world should know.

Tharoor condemns Singhal’s remark

The remarks were also condemned by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday (November 17) , saying neither the Hindu faith nor nationalism justifies or condones such massacres, let alone applauds them.

"Bihar approves Gobi farming," Singhal had posted on X on Friday with an image of a cauliflower field after the NDA win in assembly polls. It evoked a strong response from many online who said the cauliflower image was an apparent reference to the 1989 Bhagalpur violence in Bihar, in which many Muslims were killed and buried in farmland where cauliflower saplings were later planted to conceal the bodies.

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An X user replied to Singhal's post, saying that a cabinet minister, no less, is "glorifying the massacre of 116 Muslims to celebrate an election victory".

He tagged Tharoor and asked if the senior Congress leader could get a few influential Hindu leaders to condemn this "normalisation of one of the worst pogroms perpetuated against Bihari Muslims".

Responding to the post, Tharoor said, "I'm not a community organiser, so joint statements are not my job. But as a passionate advocate of #InclusiveIndia and a proud Hindu, I can speak for myself, and for most Hindus I know, in saying that neither our faith nor our nationalism requires, justifies or condones such massacres, let alone applauds them." When another user said that he did not condemn the post, Tharoor responded, "That's exactly what I did! I condemned it."

(With agency inputs)