NEW DELHI: In a recent development, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has taken a firm stand against the Congress protests on the outskirts of Guwahati. Describing the Congress's actions as “naxalite tactics”, he has directed the Assam police to take legal action against Rahul Gandhi, the prominent Congress leader, for his role in provoking the crowd.

Koo App BIG BREAKING NEWS 🚨 Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma directs police to file case against Rahul Gandhi for ‘provoking crowd’ CM said "These are not part of Assamese culture. Such ‘naxalite tactics’ are completely alien to our culture" Congress workers, along with Rahul Gandhi, were trying to enter Guwahati & clashed with police officials and broke police barriers. Cops resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. Join | t.me/SatyaagrahIndia View attached media content - Satyaagrah (@SatyaagrahIndia) 23 Jan 2024

This situation arose following an incident involving Rahul Gandhi, who is currently in Assam as part of his "Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra." Gandhi's attempt to enter Guwahati was thwarted, leading to a significant uproar among Congress workers. The supporters, in response, dismantled barricades and chanted slogans in protest. Amidst this turmoil, Rahul Gandhi addressed his party workers on the city's periphery, emphasizing, "We have broken barricades, but will not break the law."

The Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, expressed his disapproval of these events through a series of tweets. He criticized Rahul Gandhi for allegedly inciting the crowd and making unfounded statements during his yatra. Sarma conveyed a strong message that such behavior would not be tolerated and that those responsible, specifically the Congress party in this case, would face legal consequences for their "unruly behavior" and "naxalite tactics."

The controversy has escalated since the "Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra," led by Rahul Gandhi, made its way into Assam. The Congress party has been vocal in asserting that they have been subjected to violence orchestrated by Chief Minister Sarma. Escalating these claims, Rahul Gandhi, on January 23rd, accused the Chief Minister of intentionally preventing him from engaging with students from the North Eastern region and obstructing his scheduled address to them.

Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has taken a strong stance against the recent actions of Rahul Gandhi, a leader of the Congress party, during his ongoing visit to the state. In a statement posted on social media platform X, Sarma expressed his disapproval in no uncertain terms, saying, "These are not part of Assamese culture. We are a peaceful state. Such are completely alien to our culture. I have instructed @DGPAssamPolice to register a case against your leader @RahulGandhi for provoking the crowd & use the footage you have posted on your handles as the evidence. Your unruly behaviour and violation of agreed guidelines have resulted in a massive traffic jam in Guwahati now." This declaration underscores the Chief Minister's commitment to maintaining peace and order in the state and his rejection of activities he perceives as disruptive.

Further intensifying the situation, Sarma, who was formerly associated with the Congress party himself, highlighted that the footage shared by Youth Congress president B V Srinivas on social media will serve as evidence in the case against Rahul Gandhi. This move signifies a pivotal turn in the ongoing political drama, with the Chief Minister utilizing social media content as part of legal proceedings.

The conflict between Rahul Gandhi and Himanta Biswa Sarma has escalated to a new level since the commencement of Gandhi's 'Nyay Yatra' in Assam. On Monday, Sarma referred to Gandhi as Ravan, a mythological figure often associated with negative connotations, and explicitly declined to respond to his allegations. In contrast, during his rallies, Rahul Gandhi has been consistently targeting Sarma, labeling him as "the most corrupt chief minister in the country." He has also accused Sarma of being overly subservient to directives from Delhi, particularly those from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, suggesting that the Assam Chief Minister is eager to please the central leadership.

Adding to the political controversy, the Congress party, through its official X social media handle, has alleged that the Home Minister of India directly contacted Chief Minister Sarma with instructions to prevent Rahul Gandhi from engaging with university students.  The tweet from Congress added a personal note from Gandhi, indicating his regret at being unable to meet with university students as planned, "That’s why I could not come to meet you at your university."

The Congress party recently claimed that a scheduled interaction between Rahul Gandhi and students at a university had to be abruptly canceled on January 23rd. This announcement came amidst the escalating tension between the Congress leader and Assam's Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma.

In a swift response to these claims, Assam CM Sarma highlighted a critical discrepancy in the allegations made by the Congress. Sarma pointed out that the alleged program was actually supposed to take place in Meghalaya, not Assam, thereby questioning the accuracy of Rahul Gandhi's accusations against the Assam government. In a tweet filled with sarcasm, Sarma remarked, “What a man – the program was in Meghalaya but he is abusing Assam.” This response serves to underline the confusion and misinformation surrounding the incident.

Further emphasizing this point, CM Sarma, in another tweet, directly addressed Rahul Gandhi, stating, “Brother, the university you have mentioned is in Meghalaya not in Assam.” This clarification by the Chief Minister aimed to correct the narrative and bring attention to the factual errors in the Congress party's statements.

It is noteworthy that even Congress leaders have acknowledged that Rahul Gandhi was invited to address students at the University of Science and Technology, which is located in Meghalaya. Despite this, the Congress party directed its accusations towards the Assam government, alleging their involvement in the disruption or cancellation of Gandhi's event in another state. This move seemed to indicate a broader political strategy or a miscommunication within the party itself.

In an interesting turn of events, when Assam CM Sarma publicly corrected the Congress's claims through a series of tweets, Rahul Gandhi interpreted this interaction as an inadvertent victory for his 'Yatra.' He suggested that Sarma's engagement and the clarification of factual inaccuracies actually provided unexpected publicity for his campaign. According to Gandhi, the attention drawn by the Assam CM, even though it was to point out errors, inadvertently amplified the visibility of the Congress party's activities and narratives.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made a statement regarding the ongoing political situation in Assam, particularly in relation to his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra.' He expressed a somewhat counterintuitive view of the actions taken by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma against the yatra. Gandhi stated, “Whatever the Assam CM is doing against the Yatra, it benefits the Yatra. The publicity that we might have not got, by doing this the Assam CM & Union Home Minister Amit Shah are helping us. Now, the main issue in Assam is the Yatra…It is their intimidation tactics…Our message of Nyay is reaching the people…” This comment reflects Gandhi's perspective that the opposition from state authorities is inadvertently aiding his campaign by bringing more attention to it. He views these actions as intimidation tactics that are counterproductively making his message of 'Nyay' (justice) more prominent among the people.

In a contrasting development, Assam CM Sarma has not only refuted these allegations but has also taken a strong legal stance against Rahul Gandhi. Sarma has asserted that Gandhi, along with others, will face legal consequences for inciting people to attack police personnel in Assam. This statement comes in the wake of the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra,' which, after visiting Meghalaya, attempted to re-enter Assam for its final phase in the state.

However, the situation escalated when the Guwahati police denied the yatra permission to enter the city limits. Following this, Congress supporters, allegedly incited by Rahul Gandhi, clashed with the police, leading to the breaking of police barricades. This act of defiance and confrontation with law enforcement has further heightened tensions in the region.

Earlier in the day, in response to these incidents, CM Sarma had directed the Assam DGP (Director General of Police) to register a case against Rahul Gandhi for ‘provoking the crowd’. Sarma condemned the 'unruly behaviour' of the Congress workers and emphasized that such "naxalite tactics" are not characteristic of Assamese culture.

Himanta Biswa Sarma has instructed the police to use footage shared by Congress workers as concrete evidence of the "unruly behaviour" of their leader, alleging that they breached previously agreed-upon guidelines. This directive represents a strategic move to substantiate legal actions against the Congress party using digital evidence.

In his social media communications, the Chief Minister has also shared another video. According to his post, this video purportedly shows Rahul Gandhi and an individual named Jitendra Singh inciting the crowd to confront the Assam Police. Sarma's decision to publicize this video aims to demonstrate the Congress party's alleged role in escalating the situation.

In a tweet, Sarma assured the public of impending legal action, saying, “Evidence is emerging as to how Rahul Gandhi and Jitendra Singh instigated the mob to attack Assam Police personnel. Our policemen are servants of the public, not of any royal family. Rest assured, the law has a very long arm and will definitely reach you.” This statement underscores Sarma's commitment to enforcing the law and protecting public servants, portraying the police as neutral entities serving the people rather than any political faction.

Congress Seeks Judicial Inquiry into Attacks During Yatra

In response to these events, the Congress party has initiated a call for a judicial inquiry. Debabrata Saikia, the leader of the opposition in the Assam legislative assembly, has approached Governor Gulab Chand Kataria with a request to order a judicial probe. This probe aims to investigate the physical assault on state Congress president Bhupen Bora and the alleged unruly behavior of BJP cadres during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

Saikia, in a memorandum to the Governor, accused the current state government under Himanta Biswa Sarma of creating a 'serious administrative blockade.' He alleged that the government has resorted to using unruly elements to disrupt the peaceful Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra through physical force and criminal attacks against senior Congress leaders. This accusation suggests a deliberate attempt by the state government to hinder the yatra's progress through non-democratic means.

Highlighting specific incidents, Saikia mentioned that during the yatra on Sunday, a vehicle carrying senior AICC leader Jairam Ramesh was forcefully stopped by supporters of the ruling BJP. He reported that these supporters verbally abused Ramesh and damaged his car by tearing off its stickers. This incident, as described by Saikia, portrays an aggressive and hostile environment for the Congress party and its members, fueling the demand for a judicial inquiry to uncover the truth behind these occurrences.