Staff Reporter
Guwahati: The attack on MP Rakibul Hussain by miscreants at Rupahihat on Thursday led to a furore in the Assam Assembly on the fourth day of the Budget session on Friday. The opposition Congress party, through an adjournment motion, demanded a high-level inquiry into the incident and punishment for the culprits.
The noisy situation forced the Speaker Biswajit Daimary to adjourn the House twice, one for ten minutes and the other for five minutes to restore order. From the government side, it was stated that a police inquiry is going on, and the miscreants involved in the incident have been identified.
Immediately after the proceedings in the Assembly started, Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia raised the matter of the attack on Rakibul Hussain and demanded a discussion on an adjournment motion. Saikia stated in the House that it was an unfortunate incident.
It was also stated that Rakibul Hussain had informed police authorities yesterday morning regarding his programmes in the Rupahihat area. Despite that, a life-threatening attack was launched against him.
“Yesterday the Chief Minister had given a statement on the attack on MP Rakibul Hussain, but we are not satisfied with his statement as he did not even condemn the incident. At present, democracy should be protected and people’s security assured. Those behind the attack should be arrested, as the attack was an attempt to kill him. So, we demand that the House be adjourned and a discussion be held on yesterday’s incident,” Saikia stressed.
The Speaker at this stage said that a discussion on the Supplementary Demands for Grants 2024-25 was scheduled so it was not possible to bring in an adjournment motion. “A separate device should be used for the discussion, not today but later on,” Daimary said while rejecting the adjournment motion in the House.
Minister Piyush Hazarika then said, “Those involved in the attack have been identified,, and police inquiry is going on. If found guilty, they will be punished.” Following these statements, the Congress again raised a ruckus, and the Speaker was forced to adjourn the Assembly two times.
After resumption of the House’s proceedings, independent MLA from Sivasagar Akhil Gogoi raised the demand that the Rupahihat OC and Nagaon SP should be suspended. He also demanded immediate punishment for the culprits. Gogoi’s statement again led to a pandemonium by a united opposition, demanding a discussion today itself.
Finally, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said, “When the Chief Minister came to know of the incident yesterday, he immediately replied in the House. We also do not support such incidents. The CM is out of the state today, and he will take appropriate action, and high-level officials of the Home Department will investigate the incident, and the guilty will be apprehended. If any government officials are found guilty of dereliction of their duty, they will be punished appropriately. After inquiry, we will bring in a statement in the House. We condemn those involved in the dastardly act.”
Debabrata Saikia then asked that the inquiry and action-taken report should be tabled during this Assembly session, as early as possible.
During the time these proceedings were going on, Akhil Gogoi created disturbances several times, which led the Speaker to suspend him for one hour.
Meanwhile, CM Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma took to his X handle to say, “The police have identified the individuals involved in the alleged incident of assault on Congress MP Sri Rakibul Hussain. The identified persons are as follows: Harun of Jamtola, Haresh of Fakoli, Basir of Tamulitup, Kasem Ali of Kawoimari, Rosidul of Kawoimari, Ayub of Gunabari, Lutkior of Rail Station, Khaleque of Rowmari, Mojibur of Gorematikhowa, and Jahangir of Koachgaon... Police will take actions as per law.”
However, in a later post, the CM said, “Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Sri Rakibul Hussain today filed a First Information Report (FIR) alleging an assault that occurred yesterday. However, the MP has so far declined to undergo a medical examination. Without this examination, law enforcement cannot accurately determine and apply the appropriate sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (Indian Penal Code) in the FIR. It is crucial for the Congress party and the Leader of the Opposition to take note this position.”
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