Guwahati, Jan 23: An FIR has been filed against Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, and Kanhaiya Kumar, among others, following a clash between Congress supporters and Assam Police during Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on January 23, said Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday.
The incident resulted in allegations of violence, provocation, and damage to public property.
The FIR, registered under sections 120(B)143/147/188/283/353/332/333/427 IPC R/W Sec. 3 of PDPP Act, includes non-bailable charges such as Section 353 (Assault on public servant), Section 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from duty), and Section 333 (Voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from duty).
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“With reference to wanton acts of violence, provocation , damage to public property and assault on police personnel today by Cong members , a FIR has been registered against Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal , Kanhaiya Kumar and other individuals under section 120(B)143/147/188/283/353/332/333/427 IPC R/W Sec. 3 of PDPP Act,” Sarma wrote on micro-blogging site X.
Earlier in the day, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed concerns on social media, accusing Congress leaders of violence and provocation during the clash. The clash occurred after Assam Police, following Sarma’s directive, halted the yatra’s entry into Guwahati, leading to protests from Congress workers.
Sarma criticized Rahul Gandhi for allegedly provoking the crowd and violating guidelines, resulting in a massive traffic jam in Guwahati.
The Chief Minister directed Assam DGP GP Singh to register a criminal case against Gandhi, urging the use of social media footage as evidence.
“These are not part of Assamese culture. Such ‘naxalite tactics’ are completely alien to our peaceful state. I have instructed @DGPAssamPolice to register a case against your leader @RahulGandhi for provoking the crowd,” Sarma posted.
Tensions flared in Guwahati as supporters of Rahul Gandhi clashed with the police during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’s re-entry into Assam. The denial of permission for the yatra to use main routes inside Guwahati led to heightened security at Khanapara, the city’s entry point.
Visuals from the scene depicted Congress supporters engaging in altercations with police personnel, attempting to break barricades, while Rahul Gandhi observed from a distance.
Assam Police implemented stringent security measures at Khanapara, exacerbating the already tense political atmosphere.
