Congress urges Assam governor for judicial inquiry into attacks during yatra

Guwahati: The leader of the opposition in Assam legislative assembly Debabrata Saikia has urged Governor Gulab Chand Kataria to order a judicial probe on the physical assault on state Congress president Bhupen Bora and unruly behaviour of alleged BJP cadres during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

Saikia, in a memorandum to the Governor, alleged that the present state government under Himanta Biswa Sarma is creating ''serious administrative blockade and also resorted to unleashing unruly lumpens to sabotage the peaceful Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra by brute of physical force and criminal attack against our senior leaders." During the yatra on Sunday, the vehicle carrying senior AICC leader Jairam Ramesh was forcefully stopped by supporters of the ruling BJP and they verbally abused him and tore the stickers on his car, he said.

Thereafter, at Jamugurihat, Bora was physically assaulted by BJP supporters leading to a bleeding nose while about 20-25 unruly people even targeted Rahul Gandhi and at various places even journalists were not spared, Saikia said.

The Congress MLA from Nazira alleged that the police personnel remained silent spectators from a safe distance.

''Even prior to these incidents, Sarma's BJP government has been using police and civil administration to disrupt the yatra. At the meeting grounds and during padyatras, anti-yatra posters and banners were displayed under the protection of Assam Police," he alleged.

The Congress leader said they had complained to the DGP but he tweeted that he had arranged for all kinds of protection during the yatra.

''This is, however, a blatant lie as no such arrangement is witnessed on the ground'', he said.

The Congress had applied for necessary permission for the yatra and completed formalities but the nervous state government has indulged in administrative delays to create all possible hurdles, Saikia alleged.

''In view of this serious law and order situation prevailing in Assam at present due to the lumpens of the ruling party, we have brought the matter to your kind attention and demand a judicial inquiry into the physical attack on our PCC president'', he added.