Expelled Assam Congress leader protests during Yatra for justice from Rahul Gandhi

Sivasagar (Assam): Former Assam Pradesh Youth Congress president Angkita Dutta, who was expelled for anti-party activities last year, on Thursday demonstrated demanding justice and sought to meet Rahul Gandhi, who is currently leading the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in the state.

The Congress, however, termed her a political stooge of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who, the party claimed, acted like 'Narad Muni' in her case.

Dutta along with a few supporters were on a sit-in at Amguri town in Sivasagar district, seeking 'nyay' (justice) from Gandhi who passed through the town leading the Yatra.

She also brought a memorandum for giving it to the Congress MP, but did not get a chance to meet him.

"I am here to seek justice in my case. I have been in vanvas (exile) for 10 months. I complained about harassment and instead of giving justice to me, the party expelled me," Dutta told reporters.

Failing to hand over the memorandum, she broke down in front of the media and said she really hoped that Gandhi would listen to her.

Prior to this, several hoardings bearing a photograph of Dutta and Gandhi together were put up along the route of the march in and around Amguri, seeking justice for women in the Congress party.

"Are you tired of the injustice women face everyday?... Nyay for Angkita," read the hoardings, which also had the logo of 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'.

Dutta in April last year had filed an FIR against Youth Congress president Srinivas B V alleging that he was "persistently harassing and torturing" her for six months by making sexist comments, using swear words and also threatening her with dire consequences if she complained to the senior leaders.

She had also mentioned in the complaint that during the party's plenary session at Raipur, the accused had physically heckled her and threatened to ruin her career if she made any complaint against him.

The Congress issued a show cause notice to Dutta and later expelled her from the primary membership of the party for six years for anti-party activities. Srinivas had also served a legal notice on Dutta, demanding an apology.

Addressing a press conference later during the day, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said: "I had spoken to both Angkita and Srinivas, and both are emotional people. I told her that justice would be done to her.

"But in the meantime, Narad Muni entered and spoiled everything. The Assam CM, who is running BJP in Northeast, is the Narad Muni. He is creating all the nuisance in this case and Angkita just became a political stooge of the Assam CM." It is stated that the mythological character of Narad Muni creates quarrels between people.

Assam Congress President Bhupen Kumar Borah claimed that Dutta had come to his house to discuss the allegation and he had assured her of taking her to the national leadership to complain about the harassment.

"However, on the next day, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma made a statement that Assam Police would take action if Angkita filed a case. Then she filed the FIR," he added.

Borah also told reporters that Gandhi had arranged a special flight for carrying the body of her father Anjan Dutta, a former minister, when he died.

"The entire Congress party stood behind her at that moment. Today, she has disrespected her father and betrayed the sentiment," he claimed.