Guwahati, Jan. 18: Assam governor Banwarilal Purohit today came in for sharp criticism from former chief minister Tarun Gogoi for his statement that Ahom general Lachit Borphukan had saved Hinduism by defeating the Mughals in the Battle of Saraighat in 1671.

"Lachit Borphukan fought for the people of Assam and not for a particular religion. Bagh Hazarika, an aide of Borphukan who also fought against the Mughals, was a Muslim. So Borphukan is being projected wrongly," Gogoi said here today while reacting to the governor's comment.

Borphukan and Hazarika led Ahom soldiers as Mughals led by Aurangzeb's commander Ram Singh marched towards Guwahati. They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the Mughals in the famous Battle of Saraighat.

It was the last major attempt by the Mughals to take control of Assam.

Yesterday after paying tribute to a statue of Borphukan at Teok in Jorhat district, Purohit said Borphukan had saved Hinduism.

"Hindutva was saved by such a courageous hero. Our religion was saved by him whereas Man Singh, who was a Rajput, proved to be a betrayer as he fought for the Mughals like Ram Singh and Vijay Singh during the reigns of Akbar and Aurangzeb," the governor said.

The Ahoms ruled Assam for 600 years, before it was annexed to the British under the Yandabo Treaty of 1826.

The BJP and the RSS leaders had tried to project the Ahom general as a "Hindu leader" before the Assembly elections.