Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra: Assam Police has transferred a case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other party workers over a clash with cops during Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Assam Director General of Police (DGP) GP Singh said that a case related to the 'violation of various laws' during the Congress's yatra in Guwahati on January 23 has been transferred to the CID for a "thorough and in-depth investigation through a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
"Reference Basistha PS Case No. 55/24 U/S.120(B)/143/147/188/283/353/332/333/427 IPC R/W Sec. 3 of PDPP Act relating to violation of various laws during road event of Indian National Congress at Guwahati on January 23rd 2024 has been transferred to CID Assam for a thorough and in-depth investigation through a SIT to be constituted by ADGP of CID Assam," Singh said in an X post.
Clash between Congress workers and Assam Police
A clash broke out between police and Congress workers in Guwahati on January 23 after the state government denied permission for Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra to enter the city through its main routes.
The Rahul Gandhi-led yatra was stopped from entering the main thoroughfares of Guwahati, triggering protests from Congress workers who broke barricades and raised slogans. The state BJP government had barred the yatra from moving on key Guwahati roads, citing the possibility of traffic jams. Declaring the grounds of denying permission frivolous, Congress workers tried to enter the city.
Visuals captured at the location depicted several Congress supporters, many of whom carried party flags, engaged in scuffles with police officers and tried to breach barricades, as Rahul Gandhi observed from a distance.
FIR against Rahul Gandhi, other Congress leaders
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma instructed the DGP to register a case against Rahul Gandhi and others for "provoking the crowd" to break barricades, and called their actions "Naxalite tactics".
An FIR was registered against Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, Kanhaiya Kumar and others for allegedly engaging in violence, provocation, damaging public property and assault on police personnel.
The charges included disobedience to the legal order of public servants, violation of permission conditions, and obstruction to government servants while discharging their lawful duties.
The FIR was filed against Congress leaders under IPC sections that deal with criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, rioting, assault or criminal force to deter public servants from discharging their duty, damaging public property and others.
Verbal spat erupts between Rahul Gandhi and Himanta Biswa Sarma
In a fresh attack on the former Congress chief, Assam CM Sarma said that Rahul Gandhi will be arrested after the Lok Sabha elections. ''We have filed an FIR. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) will conduct the investigation and he (Gandhi) will be arrested after the Lok Sabha elections'', Sarma said on the sidelines of a programme at Nazira in Sibsagar district.
The Lok Sabha elections are due within a few months in the country.
Earlier, Gandhi said at a public meeting that the BJP-ruled Assam government could file "as many cases as it can", but he cannot be intimidated. "I don't know how Himanta Biswa Sarma got the idea that he can intimidate me by filing cases….File 25 more cases. BJP-RSS can't intimidate me," he added.
The Chief Minister claimed that Gandhi do not love Assam but created a fuss to enter the birthplace of Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva to ''capture media attention''. ''If he has so much regard for Assam's icons, he should have visited legendary singer Bhupen Hazarika's memorial or the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati and the holy Poa Mecca (a place of pilgrimage for Muslims) or Hayagriva Temple at Hajo where he addressed a press conference on Tuesday,'' Sarma said.
Also Read: FIR against Rahul Gandhi, other Congress leaders in Assam for 'violence and assault'
