Over Half-a-dozen Complains Filed Against Shiladitya Dev

Over half-a-dozen complaints have been filed against controversial Assam BJP MLA Shiladitya Dev by various organizations days after he termed revered scholar Syed Abdul Malik an "intellectual jihadi".

BJP leader and Assam Minority Development Board Chairman Mominul Awal condemned the statement and demanded a public apology from his party colleague.

The Congress called Dev a "mad person" who should be sent to "mental asylum" for his frequent controversial and communally-sensitive statements. It also described him as the "Rakhi Sawant of the BJP", in a reference to the Bollywood actor who is known for making controversial remarks.

The Congress' minority department lodged a complaint at the Hatigaon police station in Guwahati on Sunday against Dev and demanded immediate arrest of the legislator from the Hojai constituency.

The Sadou Asom Goria-Moria-Deshi Jatiya Parishad has filed complaints at different police stations in Barpeta, Dhubri and Morigaon districts, while the Sadou Asom Goria Yuva-Chatra Parishad filed a report at Jalukbari police station in Guwahati.

The Asom Songrami Yuva Manch, too, filed a complaint at the Hatigaon police station and demanded strict action against Dev.

Former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi also condemned Dev's derogatory remarks against Malik, a highly-respected poet, novelist and short-story writer.

Congress Lok Sabha MP Abdul Khaleque termed the BJP MLA a "mad person who should be sent to mental asylum".

Another Congress leader Kamal Kumar Medhi said: "Shiladitya Dev is the Rakhi Sawant of the BJP. Assamese society should not give him any importance."

Asam Sahitya Sabha president Kuladhar Saikia condemned the "controversial remarks" against Malik, who was also the president of the apex literary body.

Dev had said last Friday that Malik was a poet who was indulging in "intellectual jihad". He made the remarks while commenting on the recent communal clash in Sonitpur district on the day of the foundation stone-laying of Ram temple.