After Himanta Sarma's Arrest Threat To Rahul Gandhi, Assam's Swift Moves

Two days after Assam Police registered a case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his associates for a clash between party workers and cops during Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the case has been transferred to the specialised Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Assam police chief GP Singh has said in a post on X that the case has been transferred to the CID for a “thorough and in-depth investigation through a SIT”. Mr Gandhi and other Congress leaders have been charged under nine sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those related to rioting, unlawful assembly and criminal conspiracy.

Congress workers part of the Rahul Gandhi-led Yatra clashed with Assam cops this Tuesday near the Guwahati city limits. 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.

A huge contingent of cops had been posted at the city borders to stop them. About 5,000 Congress workers clashed with them, leading to chaotic scenes at the city limits. Mr Chief Minister Himanta Sarma alleged that Congress’s “naxalite tactics” led to a massive traffic jam.

The swift transfer of the case to the CID comes amid a heated exchange between Mr Gandhi and Mr Sarma.

Congress leaders have alleged that the Chief Minister, who was earlier with the Congress, was creating one hurdle after another in the yatra. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, flagging incidents of breach in Mr Gandhi’s security ever since his yatra entered Assam.

In his public addresses in Assam, Mr Gandhi has slammed Mr Sarma for being the country’s most corrupt Chief Minister. He has also said that the Assam Chief Minister is remote-controlled by the centre from Delhi. Mr Gandhi has dared the Assam Chief Minister to register more case against him and said he is not scared. 

Mr Sarma, on the other hand, has accused the Congress MP of instigating people in the state. He has alleged that the Congress was trying to destablise Assam. “We will arrest him (Rahul) after the Lok Sabha election. If we arrest him before, it will become politicised. Now the case has been registered, SIT will investigate, and we have evidence. A big incident could have happened in Guwahati after he instigated to break barricades. We don’t want to do politics before the Lok Sabha election because we are going to win this election,” he said.

Today is the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’s last day in Assam, after which it will enter West Bengal.