OUR CORRESPONDENT
MANGALDAI: A tense situation arose in Garukhuti on Tuesday due to a confrontation between Congress activists heading to protest at the Gorukhuti Project and some local residents along with BJP youth activists.
The protest, organized by the Darrang District Youth Congress Committee and Sipajhar Block Youth Congress workers, was against alleged irregularities by the BJP government, including issues related to dairy farms, Gir cows, exploitation of the state’s cattle rearers, provision of state subsidies to Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah’s wife, and remarks about the Youth Congress’s account being operated from abroad.
The Congress group, led by State Youth Congress President Jubeir Alam, and comprising over a hundred activists, aimed to protest at the agricultural project. However, the choice of the Gorukhuti Project as the protest site angered the BJP Youth Wing and local residents. This led to locals and BJP workers blocking the Congress group near Gorukhuti Pujakhola resulting in a heated exchange.
The situation escalated with BJP workers chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai,’ countered by Congress workers raising anti-government slogans, creating a volatile atmosphere. The confrontation nearly turned violent, but police and administration intervened to control the situation.
Due to resistance from locals and BJP workers, the Congress group was forced to retreat from the site without holding their planned protest. The Congress party expressed resentment over being obstructed, claiming they intended to submit a memorandum to the project head regarding alleged corruption and irregularities, not to stage a protest.
Conversely, Gorukhuti locals asserted that they would not allow any political activities targeting the agricultural project. They questioned the Congress’s absence when Gorukhuti faced issues like encroachment and flooding, emphasizing their commitment to protecting the project and preventing any protests there. Similarly, the BJP Youth Wing stated that the Congress, accused of supporting suspected Bangladeshis, lacked the moral authority to protest against the Gorukhuti Agricultural Project. It was later learned that the Congress workers, unable to proceed, headed to the Darrang Commissioner’s Office.
Also Read: Dibrugarh BJP protests against Congress workers’ attack on CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
Also Watch: