Worse than atrocious: Congress attacks Assam CM over spokesperson’s arrest

The Congress on Saturday, 15 March, attacked chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over the arrest of its Assam unit spokesperson Reetam Singh for a social media post, saying the action was "worse than atrocious".

The Opposition party asserted that Singh's post, for which he was arrested, was "perfectly reasonable".

"The arrest of my young colleague Reetam Singh for a perfectly reasonable social media post is worse than atrocious Mr Chief Minister," Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said on X and tagged Sarma.

Responding to Ramesh's post, Sarma said, "Sir, this case pertains to a caste-based insult directed at a Dalit woman. If you justify calling the husband of a Dalit woman a rapist as a 'perfectly reasonable' social media post, it speaks volumes about the direction in which you people have taken the Congress party.

"But, just wait, the big revelation is yet to come -- the nexus of your senior leader with ISI and Pakistan will be exposed by September," the Assam chief minister said.

Ramesh again attacked Sarma and said he should stop diverting from the real issue.

"Mr Outgoing CM, stop diverting from the real issue -- which is the abuse and misuse of police powers by you personally to favour your associates and fix your opponents," Ramesh said.

Singh was on Saturday arrested for a social media post enquiring about the status of cases registered against three senior BJP leaders, including a former state chief and two serving MLAs.

He was arrested from his home in Guwahati by a team of Lakhimpur district police with assistance from the Guwahati Police.

Lakhimpur Superintendent of Police Mihirjit Gayan told PTI that Singh was arrested after a complaint by the wife of BJP MLA Manab Deka for a post on X two days ago.

Singh made a post on X on 13 March with a news report about three individuals being convicted by a court for a rape case in Dhemaji district in 2021.

During the Congress leader's arrest, a lot of drama unfolded at the apartment of the accused in the Ulubari area, with Singh initially claiming that no warrant or notice was served on him.

Hours later, deputy leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi reached Singh's house and alleged that his colleague was dragged by police on a day when Union Home minister Amit Shah was in the state.

"A team of Lakhimpur police have come to Guwahati to take custody of Congress spokesperson @SinghReetam. When I went to his residence. I saw how he was brutally dragged away and was not allowed to speak to me," Gogoi said in a post on X.