Guwahati, May 28: A serious controversy has begun in Assam Congress politics after the MLA from Borkhola Dr Rumi Nath suddenly left her husband and two-year-old daughter and eloped with her Facebook friend Jackie Zakir to convert to Islam before marrying him.
CRPF troops have been deployed in and around Silchar to thwart any attempt at communal violence because of this conversion.
Rumi's first husband Rakesh Kumar Singh lodged an FIR with police alleging that Rumi was kidnapped from Silchar Medical College and Hospital where she had gone for a medical check-up.
The 32-year old MLA had disappeared on May 13 from the hospital and resurfaced after a few hours, claiming that she had converted to Islam in order to marry Zakir, a low-grade employee of the Social Welfare department.
Rumi Nath said her new name after conversion was Rabeya Sultana.
Rakesh however claimed that Rumi had not married Zakir and that she was forced to make such comments before the media.
Meanwhile, Zakir's father Faizur Rahman, a former police officer, made it clear that his family would never accept Rumi as their daughter-in-law.
Rahman has also lodged an FIR in Badarpur Police Station about his son's disappearance.
Rumi has a two-year old daughter, Ritambhara, from her marriage with Rakesh Singh.
Rumi's reported marriage with Zakir has cause widespread outrage among the Hindu community in Silchar.
Gairik Bharat, a saffron outfit, burnt her the effigy to protest the conversion. Other Hindu organizations are also planning protests over this iner-community marriage It has been alleged that an Assam minister Siddique Ahmad was instrumental in the 'nikah' (marriage) of Rumi Nath. He provided two qazis to conduct the Islamic wedding.
In a statement, Dr Rumi Nath said: "I want to clarify that I was not under any compulsion to convert to Islam and marry my friend Zakir.
I am staying willingly with my husband Zakir. Our minister Siddique saheb arranged the two qazis, Qazi Usman Ali and Qazi Nazrul Islam for the marriage. I want to thank him for his help. I have not married under any compulsion."
Rumi met Jackie Zakir on the Facebook last month and they became friends. The two then decided to marry.
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