APCC president Gaurav Gogoi urges Amit Shah to strengthen safety measures for Northeast citizens in Delhi

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Deputy Leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party in the Lok Sabha and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi expressing deep concern over the recurring incidents of racial harassment, violence, and crimes against women and citizens from North Eastern states in New Delhi.

In a post on X, Gogoi said, “the recent racial abuse and assault of a woman from Assam in Delhi is shocking and deserves the strongest condemnation. Immediate and exemplary action must be taken so that such behaviour is neither normalised nor repeated. Incidents like this reflect a worrying rise in cases of citizens from the North East facing racism, harassment, and violence in the national capital. Beyond immediate action, there is an urgent need for stronger long-term prevention through better legal protections, greater public awareness, and education that challenges prejudice and stereotypes.”

Gogoi also moved the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and urged him to ensure strict and time-bound action in cases involving racial abuse, intimidation and violence against Northeast citizens in New Delhi.

In a letter to the Union Minister, Gogoi highlighted the recent incident reported from Nehru Place in Delhi, where two women from Assam and Bihar were allegedly molested, assaulted, and subjected to racist abuse by a group of men in the early hours of May 10.

In the letter Gogoi stated that according to reports, the women were having tea outside a hotel when a group of men allegedly began catcalling them and making derogatory racial remarks. The situation reportedly escalated into physical assault, with the women alleging that their clothes were torn and that they were publicly assaulted. Delhi Police later confirmed that the women had been racially targeted.

Calling the incident “deeply disturbing,” Gogoi said the episode reflects a recurring and entrenched pattern of discrimination and violence faced by women and citizens from the North East in the national capital.

Gogoi also referred to a series of similar incidents in recent months, including the alleged racial abuse and assault of a lawyer from Manipur and her transwoman friend in South Delhi in March 2026, and the reported harassment of three women from Arunachal Pradesh in Malviya Nagar in February this year.

Gogoi noted that these incidents are not isolated, but part of a longer pattern of prejudice, profiling, intimidation, and violence faced by North East citizens in Delhi. He recalled past incidents including the killing of Nido Tania in 2014 and the death of Anjel Chakma, a student from Tripura, following an assault in 2025.

Despite existing mechanisms such as SPUNER, the 24x7 Helpline 1093, the North East Assistance Team (NEAT), dedicated nodal officers, and sensitization initiatives, Gogoi stated that such incidents continue to occur with alarming regularity, raising serious concerns over implementation gaps and institutional effectiveness.

In his letter, Gogoi urged the Ministry of Home Affairs to review the effectiveness of existing safety mechanisms for North East citizens in Delhi, strengthen accountability in cases involving racial harassment and crimes against women, expand awareness regarding helplines and legal protections, and hold regular consultations with student bodies, women’s groups, and community organisations from the region.

He further called for strict and time-bound action in all cases involving racial abuse, intimidation, and violence.

“Delhi, as the national capital, must reflect the constitutional values of equality, dignity, and security for every citizen, irrespective of region, ethnicity, language, or appearance,” Gogoi stated, adding that citizens from the North East deserve both legal protection and institutional confidence.

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