Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has directed the Assam Police to file a case against Rahul Gandhi for inciting the crowd.
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| Assam Police clashes with people part of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra (Screengrab) |
Bhupen Borah, the head of Congress in Assam, and party official Jakir Hussain Sikdar were among those hurt during a confrontation between the police and participants of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi, as they attempted to enter Guwahati on Tuesday.
Previously, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had stated that the yatra would not be permitted to enter Guwahati city due to potential traffic issues. This decision sparked outrage among Congress leaders, who accused the state's BJP government of misusing its power to thwart the Congress yatra.
असम में 'भारत जोड़ो न्याय यात्रा' को बैरिकेड लगाकर रोक दिया गया है।
— Congress (@INCIndia) January 23, 2024
'भारत जोड़ो न्याय यात्रा' की बुलंद आवाज से डरी-सहमी असम सरकार ऐसी कायर और शर्मनाक हरकतों से बाज नहीं आ रही।
BJP ये न भूले कि ये जनता की आवाज है, इसे किसी भी कीमत पर कुचला और दबाया नहीं जा सकता।
हमारी राह के… pic.twitter.com/q1E53exwPA
On Tuesday morning, the yatris embarked from Meghalaya towards Guwahati, only to find their path into the city obstructed by police barricades in the Khanapara area. The Assam Police reported that its officers had to repel the yatris who tried to breach the barricades.
Naveen Kumar Paswan, a Congress worker who was part of the yatra, said, "The police used batons, causing injuries to my arms and legs. Several others were also hurt."
Sarma, on platform X, stated that he had directed the Assam Police to file a case against Rahul Gandhi for "inciting the crowd", and criticized the Congress workers for their "disorderly conduct" and violation of "agreed guidelines."
He said, "Such 'Naxalite tactics' are not part of Assamese culture. We are a peaceful state. I have instructed @DGPAssamPolice to file a case against your leader @RahulGandhi for inciting the crowd & use the footage you have posted on your handles as evidence. Your disorderly conduct and violation of agreed guidelines have resulted in a major traffic jam in Guwahati now."
Borah and Sikdar were hurt in the altercation. Borah had also been injured two days prior when a group carrying BJP flags attacked vehicles that were part of the yatra in Assam’s Sonitpur district.
Mira Borthakur, president of the Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress, told The Indian Express that yatra participants had gathered at Khanapara, intending to enter Guwahati city, by 7.30 am, but were halted by the police.
She said, "The police barricaded all the roads... and the administration blocked all traffic – some ambulances and people going to airports are stuck – so that they can blame Rahul ji’s yatra (for causing inconvenience to the people)."
Borthakur added, "So, Rahul ji and his team, considering the law and order situation, have decided to move on from here."
Around 12.30 pm on Tuesday, with participants unable to enter Guwahati from the highway due to the police presence, the yatra continued along the highway.
Earlier in the day, Rahul alleged that he was "prevented" from interacting with students of a private university in Meghalaya at the "instructions" of the Union Home Minister. He claimed that the directive to the university authorities was conveyed by the Union minister through the Assam Chief Minister’s Office.
Rahul was quoted by PTI as telling students and others from atop his yatra bus on the Assam-Meghalaya border, "I wanted to come to your university and address you, listen to you. But what happened is that the Home Minister of India called up the Chief Minister of Assam and the CMO called up the leadership of the university and said that Rahul Gandhi must not be allowed to speak to the students."
Rahul was scheduled to hold separate interactions with students, civil society members, and party leaders at the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya, (USTM) in Meghalaya’s Ri Bhoi district, bordering Assam, on Tuesday morning.
Source: Indian Express and PTI