GUWAHATI: The Congress party condemned in strong terms on Saturday the arrest of its Assam unit spokesperson Reetam Singh, describing the act as "worse than atrocious."
The party attacked Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, saying that Singh's social media post for which he was arrested was "perfectly reasonable."
Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary, lashed out on social media. In a tweet on X, he targeted the chief minister for Singh's arrest and reaffirmed that the post was warranted. Singh had been arrested for a social media post raising questions about the status of cases filed against three top BJP leaders, including a former state chief and two current MLAs.
The police detained Singh from his home in Guwahati, with Lakhimpur district officers assisting the Guwahati Police. Lakhimpur Superintendent of Police Mihirjit Gayan said Singh was arrested after a complaint was filed by BJP MLA Manab Deka's wife.
The complaint was about Singh's post on March 13, when he posted a news report about a court convicting three people in a 2021 rape case in Dhemaji district.
Singh's arrest resulted in dramatic scenes outside his apartment in the Ulubari locality of Guwahati. The Congress leader first claimed that he was not shown a warrant or notice before he was taken into custody.
The situation turned more volatile when Gaurav Gogoi, Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, reached Singh's residence. Gogoi accused the police of pulling Singh away by force and not allowing him to speak to his colleagues.
Gogoi also highlighted the timing of the arrest, noting that it came at the time of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to the state. "A group of Lakhimpur police officers arrived in Guwahati to take Congress spokesperson @SinghReetam into custody. When I reached his house, I witnessed how he was brutally dragged out and not permitted to speak to me," he tweeted on X.
The Congress has since upped its attack on the Assam government, terming Singh's arrest as an open assault on free speech and political opposition.
The party has asked for his release at once and an explanation from the state government on the need for such a draconian measure. The incident has also fanned more political controversy between the incumbent BJP and the opposition Congress, with their leaders trading acrimonious exchanges over it.
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