A day after a clash between Congress workers led by Rahul Gandhi and Assam police personnel on the outskirts of Guwahati, party president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting intervention to ensure the safety of Mr. Gandhi and other participants in his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
This development followed the filing of an FIR against Mr. Gandhi and other Congress leaders by Assam Police, charging them with criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, breach of peace, among other offenses. The case was initiated after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma criticized the “naxalite tactics” employed by Congress workers, deeming them inconsistent with Assamese culture.
Shri @RahulGandhi and the #BharatJodoNyayYatra has faced serious security issues in Assam in the last few days.
My letter to Home Minister, Shri @AmitShah underlining the same. pic.twitter.com/FHLG5pg5Bz
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— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) January 24, 2024
In his communication to the Home Minister, Mr. Kharge highlighted several instances where Assam Police allegedly failed to provide adequate security to Mr. Gandhi, who is a Z+ protectee. He pointed to incidents such as the defacing of Congress posters, BJP workers obstructing the Congress yatra on January 21, and an assault on state party chief Bhupen Borah.
Mr. Kharge expressed concern that in these incidents, the Assam Police either stood by or allowed BJP workers to approach Mr. Gandhi’s convoy, breaching his security cordon and jeopardizing his safety and that of his team. He emphasized that despite evidence in the public domain, none of the individuals involved in these events had been arrested.
“As the risk escalates and the Yatra continues, we seek your intervention to ensure that the Chief Minister of Assam and the Director General of Police take measures to prevent any untoward incidents that may pose a serious threat to the personal safety of Mr. Rahul Gandhi or any members of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,” Mr. Kharge urged.
Congress leaders have accused Chief Minister Sarma of creating obstacles in the yatra, and the recent clash in Guwahati occurred when police attempted to prevent Congress workers from moving on city roads. The administration had previously denied permission for the yatra to traverse the city’s main roads, citing concerns about congestion. Congress workers contested this denial, deeming the grounds frivolous, and attempted to breach the barricades, leading to the confrontation with law enforcement.
