Opposition Files Complaint Against Assam CM for Inciting Communal Tensions

On Wednesday, the United Opposition Forum filed a police complaint against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, accusing him of attempting to foster enmity between different religious and ethnic groups.

The complaint, lodged by prominent leaders from the opposition, includes Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief Bhupen Kumar Borah, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) chief Lurinjyoti Gogoi, Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia, Congress MP Rakibul Hussain, and Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Bhuyan, among others.

The complaint letter states, "You are likely aware of the widespread outrage across Assam following the heinous rape of a young woman from Dhing. The accused is exploiting this tragic event to incite communal discord, particularly targeting a specific community, which has led to attacks on religious minorities in Sivasagar by BJP workers and leaders. In one incident, Mayur Borgohain, who lost in the 2021 assembly election from Nazira LAC, physically assaulted some laborers working under him. This is part of a conspiracy to create a riot-like situation, with Himanta Biswa Sarma and other BJP leaders involved in this criminal plot."

The complaint also accuses CM Sarma of making provocative statements, citing several instances where he allegedly targeted a specific community.

“A year ago, he urged the eviction of people from a religious group (referred to as 'Miya') from Guwahati. On August 4, 2024, he targeted journalist Shah Alom with communal overtones, responding to a question by referencing the journalist's religion and questioning whether he and others like him should be allowed to stay in Assam. Again, on August 23, 2024, during a press conference, the accused made an unfounded claim that individuals from a particular religious group deliberately eat beef in certain areas to drive out others, thus encroaching on those regions. These repeated public statements have the potential to fuel discord between communities,” the complaint letter reads.

The letter further alleges that Sarma’s "continuous inflammatory remarks" have the potential to cause large-scale unrest, with the opposition urging immediate legal action.

“The belligerent nature of the accused can be gauge from the fact that in a party meeting held in recent past, he claimed himself to be a mad dog. If such a person is not arrested and restrained immediately he can create any riot like situation in the state for getting political mileage out of it. We therefore request you kindly to register a case against the accused person and his co-conspirators under section 61, 196 and 35(2) of the Bharatia Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and investigate,” the letter concluded.

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