The Congress’ Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra was fraught with confrontation between the party workers and the Assam government on Tuesday, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma directing Director General of Police G P Singh to register a case against Rahul Gandhi for allegedly provoking a crowd to break barricades.
The barricades were erected along a highway to prevent Congress leaders and supporters taking part in the Yatra from entering the main thoroughfares of Guwahati, the largest city of Assam.
On its ninth day on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra started from Jorabat in the foothill of Meghalaya at 10 am. Before that, he interacted with students and members of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) there.
The yatra reached Guwahati’s Khanapara area at 11 am, where Assam Police prohibited the rally from entering the city.
Soon, a scuffle between police personnel and Congress supporters as they tried to remove the barricades, leading to injuries suffered by state Congress president Bhupen Borah and leader of the opposition in the state assembly Debabrata Saikia, several policemen and other Congress supporters.
Addressing the public from atop a bus, Gandhi said that they have broken barricades but ‘we will not break the law’. He alleged that while BJP president J P Nadda was allowed to take the same route earlier, Congress was not permitted.
“You should not think we are weak. We have broken the barricades,” he told his workers and supporters, calling them “babbar sher” (lion).
Reacting to this and citing a viral video, Assam CM instructed the DGP to file a case against Rahul Gandhi for provoking the crowd. Youth Congress president Srinivas BV shared on X a video showing Congress workers breaking a barricade. Responding to this, Sarma said that the footage would be used as evidence.
“It is clear that Rahul Gandhi and Jitendra Singh were openly provoking people to break the law. We will file a faujdari complaint against Rahul Gandhi for instigating violence and disobedience in Guwahati today. However, we will arrest Rahul Gandhi after the Lok Sabha Election,” Sarma stated.
The chief minister had earlier said the Yatra would not be allowed to enter the city in order to avoid traffic jams.
He reiterated that the Assam government has already asked the organisers to divert the rally by the National Highway, instead of entering the city and creating problems for the public.
“We had advised him (Rahul Gandhi) to lead the Nyay Yatra, though anyway, but not through Guwahati city. He had come with 3000 people and 200 vehicles. How can this be allowed inside the city? They came and fought with the police. Rahul Gandhi from his bus instigated everything. We will arrest him after the Lok Sabha elections,” the Assam CM added.
In reply to Srinivas BV’s X post, Sarma said, “These are not part of Assamese culture. We are a peaceful state. Such naxalite tactics are completely alien to our culture. Your unruly behaviour and violation of agreed guidelines have resulted in a massive traffic jam in Guwahati.”
Finally, on Tuesday evening Assam Police filed a suo moto case against Rahul Gandhi and some of his associates.
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