Assam: Cricket bat attack on Congress MP, son leads to stormy assembly session

The Assam Assembly on Friday, 21 February, witnessed uproarious scenes over the attack on Congress MP Rakibul Hussain in Nagaon district.

Speaker Biswajit Daimary adjourned the House twice within the first 30 minutes as the opposition Congress MLAs created noisy scenes after their adjournment motion to discuss the matter was disallowed.

Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia of the Congress raised the demand for an adjournment as soon as the House assembled at 9:30 a.m.

He maintained that the chief minister's reply on the matter in the assembly did not show any repentance, nor did he apologise for the attack on Hussain.

Hussain, the Dhubri MP, his son Tanzil Hussain (who is an NSUI leader) and his personal security officers (PSOs) were attacked by unidentified persons at Rupohihat in Nagaon district on Thursday, 20 February.

The Congress MP was on his way to attend a meeting of party workers in Gunomari village, under Rupohi police station, on a two-wheeler when he was attacked with cricket bats by a group of people who had their faces covered with black cloth and were shouting slogans against the MP, police said.

Hussain's fellow Assam legislator Gaurav Gogoi noted in a post on X that not only was his fellow Lok Sabha MP attacked in a busy marketplace in broad daylight, 'The goons even attack the police security officers and try to snatch their weapons' as recorded on video.

'If the goons had got hold of the machine gun a terrible tragedy could have taken place,' he said.

'Yet the Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma refuses to ensure that the thugs will be arrested immediately,' Gogoi said, characterising the situation as a gunda raj in the state.

'The attitude of the Chief Minister will only embolden the thieves, dacoits, smugglers and those accused of murder,' he added.

The DGP said later that the MP was unhurt but his two PSOs have received minor injuries and are being provided with necessary treatment.

Speaker Daimary said the adjournment motion could not be allowed as discussion on the finance bill was scheduled for the day.

Minister Pijush Hazarika, responding to Saikia's allegation of the government not acting against the culprit, claimed that the attackers had been identified and action is being initiated.

Unsatisfied with the response, the Congress legislators stormed into the well of the House and created noisy scenes.

The BJP legislators also shouted back at the opposition MLAs, claiming that attacks on their leaders also happened during the Congress regime but no action was taken.

As the ruckus continued, the Speaker adjourned the House for 10 minutes.

As soon as it reassembled, Congress legislators once again stormed into the well and demanded discussion on the issue.

As the noisy scenes continued, Daimary adjourned proceedings for another five minutes.

The state Congress handle on X said ‘Violence has no place in a democracy.’

‘First they came for ordinary minorities. Now they are coming for elected minority MPs. Do we want this kind of India?’ a netizen asked.

Saikia told news agency ANI in an interview this morning, "It is unfortunate that in spite of informing the special branch of Nagaon district police and the local police station (about the visit), our MP Rakibul Hussain and his PSO were assaulted in broad daylight at Rupahihat New Bazar area...

With PTI inputs