The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra organized by the Congress party faced an alleged attack by BJP supporters in Sonitpur district, Assam. The party accused BJP supporters of “heckling” their leader Jairam Ramesh and the media personnel who were accompanying the yatra.
The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, led by senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, faced an incident of alleged assault by BJP workers in Assam’s Sonitpur district. This incident occurred on Sunday, while the yatra, led by Rahul Gandhi, was on its fourth day, traveling from Biswanth district through Sonitpur to Nagaon. The attack took place before Rahul Gandhi’s scheduled rally in Kaliabor, Nagaon district. The Congress party claims that BJP supporters, who were marching on the route of Rahul Gandhi, vandalized vehicles, including Jairam Ramesh’s car, and attacked the media personnel accompanying the yatra. In response, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Sarma has instructed the Assam DGP to register a case and investigate the allegations made by the Congress.
According to Mahima Singh, the communications coordinator of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), there was reportedly a BJP event taking place in the vicinity, which led some members of the media to disembark from their vehicles in order to capture some visuals. Singh expressed her concern, stating that this situation created a highly intimidating atmosphere for them. Furthermore, she mentioned that the vlogger’s camera had not been returned, despite their claims that it was not snatched. Singh also shared that while Ramesh ji and a few others were en route to join the main yatra entourage near Jamugurighat, their car was subjected to an attack. She alleged that the Congress Jodo Nyay Yatra stickers on Ramesh’s vehicle were torn off, and the assailants even attempted to affix a BJP flag onto the car, causing significant damage to the rear glass.
The Congress leader asserted that the camera, badge, and other equipment belonging to a vlogger who had been documenting the yatra were forcefully taken away. Furthermore, the social media team members of the party were subjected to physical assault. The Congress leader stated that they promptly notified the police, and currently, the additional superintendent of police is present at the scene.
‘GOONS’ OF HIMANTA SARMA BEHIND ATTACK, CLAIMS CONGRESS
Ramesh accused Sarma of orchestrating the alleged attack, tweeting a video showing a crowd of people with BJP flags surrounding his car. He claimed that BJP workers threw water and chanted slogans against the yatra, but mentioned that he acknowledged them before departing from the scene. Supriya Shrinate, a Congress leader, criticized Sarma and claimed that he and his supporters would not be able to halt the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Assam. She emphasized that these attacks would not deter them and referred to themselves as champions of justice.
CONGRESS’S YATRA PREVIOUSLY ‘ATTACKED’
The Congress party claimed on Saturday that the vehicles participating in its Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in North Lakhimpur, Assam, were targeted and the banners were ripped apart by individuals affiliated with the BJP. Mallikarjun Kharge, the party’s chief, asserted that such intimidating tactics will not deter the party. Bhupen Kumar Borah, the Assam Congress president, further stated that all the hoardings and posters that were erected to welcome the yatra in the town were torn, and party members who were responsible for putting them up were subjected to physical assault.
Nevertheless, the Director General of Police (DGP) in Assam clarified that there were no specific vehicles that were singled out, and the pilgrimage proceeded peacefully into Arunachal Pradesh.
In his response to Kharge’s post, DGP Singh stated that there has been no targeting of any vehicle belonging to a political party, especially not the yatra. The Assam Police has taken extensive measures to ensure security and maintain law and order throughout the state for the yatra. After completing the first leg in Assam, the yatra has now peacefully entered Arunachal Pradesh. The march in Assam started on January 18 and will conclude on January 25, covering a distance of 833 km across 17 districts of the state.