‘Worse Than Atrocious’: Congress Slams Assam Member’s Arrest Over Social Media Post, CM Himanta Defends

Assam Congress spokesperson Reetam Singh was arrested for a social media post. The opposition Congress party has criticised the arrest, while CM Himanta Sarma has defended the police action.

File Photo of Congress MP Jairam Ramesh and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

Source : PTI

Assam Congress spokesperson Reetam Singh was arrested on Saturday for a social media post, triggering a sharp reaction from the opposition party, which called the action "worse than atrocious." Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma defended the arrest, asserting that the post was a caste-based insult directed at a Dalit woman.  

Reetam Singh was taken into custody from his residence in Guwahati by a team of Lakhimpur district police, assisted by the Guwahati Police, news agency PTI reported. Lakhimpur Superintendent of Police Mihirjit Gayan told PTI that Singh was arrested following a complaint by the wife of BJP MLA Manab Deka regarding a post he made on X two days ago.

On March 13, Singh had shared a news report about three individuals being convicted by a court in Dhemaji district for a 2021 rape case and questioned the status of cases against three senior BJP leaders, including a former state chief and two serving MLAs.  

Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh criticised the arrest, calling Singh’s post "perfectly reasonable." "The arrest of my young colleague Reetam Singh for a perfectly reasonable social media post is worse than atrocious Mr. Chief Minister," Ramesh posted on X, tagging Sarma.  

Responding to the remarks, Assam CM Himanta Sarma defended the police action and hit back at the Congress. "Sir, this case pertains to a caste-based insult directed at a Dalit woman. If you justify calling the husband of a Dalit woman a rapist as a 'perfectly reasonable' social media post, it speaks volumes about the direction in which you people have taken the Congress party," Sarma posted on X.  

Sir, this case pertains to a caste-based insult directed at a Dalit woman. If you justify calling the husband of a Dalit woman a rapist as a ‘perfectly reasonable’ social media post, it speaks volumes about the direction in which you people have taken the Congress party. But,… https://t.co/ChKRZnuDrt

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) March 15, 2025

'Brutally Dragged Away': Gaurav Gogoi On Assam Congress Leader's Arrest

Singh's arrest sparked dramatic scenes at his residence in the Ulubari area, where he initially claimed that no warrant or notice had been served to him, as per PTI. Hours later, Deputy Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi arrived at Singh's house and alleged that police had forcibly taken his colleague away on a day when Union Home Minister Amit Shah was in Assam.  

A team of Lakhimpur police have come to Guwahati to take custody of Congress spokesperson @SinghReetam . When I went to his residence I saw how he was brutally dragged away and was not allowed to speak to me.

Home Minister Amit Shah is in Assam inaugurating a police academy. I…

— Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) March 15, 2025

"A team of Lakhimpur police have come to Guwahati to take custody of Congress spokesperson @SinghReetam. When I went to his residence, I saw how he was brutally dragged away and was not allowed to speak to me," Gogoi posted on X.