The BJP in Assam on Wednesday took protest to streets against the “misrule and corruption” of the ruling Congress Government in the State leading to a clash with police and security forces even as Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has termed the move an attempt to create law and order situation by the saffron party ahead of the Assembly polls.
The problem stated after thousands of BJP members, who thronged the capital town from different parts of the State, took out a rally and wanted to enter the premises of the Assam legislative Assembly, where the five-day Winter Session was on since Monday.
Police and security forces put up barricades at different locations to stop the marching BJP members, but the protesters continued forcing the security forces to apply force and resort to firing of tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.
While several BJP leaders and protesters, including lok Sabha MPs Ramen Deka and Bijoya Chakraborty, were injured during the clash, Guwahati Police Commissioner Mukesh Agarwala and some other police officials were also injured during the clash.
“The Section 144 of the CrPC have been imposed in the area. We had to prevent the protesters by applying force as they forcefully sought entry to the Assam legislative Assembly. The use of force had been minimal and there is no major injury to anyone. We have also detained some of the BJP leaders,” said the Guwahati Police Commissioner.
President of Assam unit of the BJP and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal condemned the State Government’s “fascist” attitude to use force to suppress the voice of the people and said that the party would hold a sit-in across the State on Friday in protest against the police atrocities on peaceful protesters.
“The Congress Government in Assam have failed in all aspects. Today we only want to demonstrate peacefully against the misrule of the Government. However, the corrupt Government proved that it does not believe in democracy and so prevented us from our peaceful demonstration,” said Sonowal while terming the Tarun Gogoi-led Government an “intolerant” one.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, however, termed the protest as an attempt by the BJP to create law and order problem in the State so that President’s Rule can be imposed ahead of the next year’s Assembly polls. “They (BJP) do not want to go to the polls. So they are trying to create law and order problems so that there can be President’s Rule. The BJP is also inciting extremist elements in the State to create law and order problems here. BJP leader Mahendra Singh has taken the lead in this regard,” said Gogoi.
The Assam Chief Minister further said the RSS, Bajrang Dal, Hindu Sena have all been working as part of a strategy to create law and order situation in Assam.