Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Assam Legislative Assembly (ALA), Debabrata Saikia, on Monday, submitted a memorandum to Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, demanding a judicial inquiry into the alleged “physical assault” on Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Bhupen Kumar Borah and alleged “criminal intimidation” and “unruly behaviour” of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Assam Pradesh cadres during the Rahul Gandhi-led ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ in Assam.
The MLA from Assam’s Nazira constituency, Saikia, in his memorandum to the Governor, accused the state administration under the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government, of creating serious administrative blockage. Saikia also accused the ruling saffron party of resorting to unleashing unruly “lumpens” to sabotage the peaceful Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra by “brute of physical force” and “criminal attack” against the grand old party’s senior leaders.
“As you are aware, yesterday, January 21, during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the vehicle carrying senior All India Congress Committee (AICC) leader Jairam Ramesh, was forcefully stopped by supporters of the ruling BJP and tore the sticker on his car and verbally abused him. Thereafter, at Jamugurihat, our Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhupen Kumar Borah was physically assaulted by the supporters of BJP leading to a bleeding nose. About 20-25 unruly lumpens even targeted our leader Rahul Gandhi as well. At various places, even journalists were not spared by the lumpens. The police personnel also remained silent spectators from a safe distance,” Saikia wrote in the memorandum to the Governor.
“Even prior to the incidents at Jamugurihat, since day-1 of the Yatra, January 18, the BJP government under the leadership of Himanta Biswa Sarma has been using police and civil administration to disrupt our yatra. At the meeting grounds and ‘padyatra,’ anti-yatra posters, banners, etc were displayed under the protection of the Assam police, though we requested for our police protection. Again in Majuli, Dhemaji and Lakhimpur, posters, banners, flexes, etc welcoming Rahul Gandhi were torn by miscreants chanting “Jai Shree Ram” at night,” Saikia added.
Saikia also stated in the memorandum that the APCC lodged a complaint with the Assam Director General of Police (DGP), but though the latter tweeted that he had arranged all necessary protection for the yatra, no such arrangement was witnessed.
“As we made a complaint to the DGP, he tweeted that he has arranged all kind of protection for the yatra. However, it is a blatant lie as no such arrangement was witnessed. Yesterday, January 21, after a meeting in Sonitpur district, the yatra convoy was attacked, causing damage to the car of National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) President. Other NSUI activists were also physically assaulted. The incident took place in spite of an earlier incident of assault on the Pradesh Congress President. This has happened due to lackadaisical stand on the part of Assam police to provide necessary security for a democratic yatra,” Saikia stated in the memorandum.
“We have applied for necessary permission for this yatra, however, in spite of completion of all due formalities, the nervous state government has indulged in administrative delays and blockage to create all possible hurdles for the yatra. The tearing of our banner, poster and placards at night by the lumpens of BJP is recorded in camera. In spite of this hooliganism, the administration has not taken any preventive and punitive action,” Saikia added.
Saikia said in view of the serious law and order situation prevailing in Assam at present due to the lumpens of the ruling party, the APCC has brought the matter to the kind attention of the Governor for immediate remedy and demand for a judicial inquiry into the physical attack on the APCC President.