Guwahati: Congress leaders including Assam chief Bhupen Borah and Jakir Hussain Sikdar were injured when party workers clashed with police after Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra was stopped from entering the arterial roads in Guwahati this morning. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has instructed DGP to register a case against Gandhi for "provoking the crowd" and violating norms.
Assam CM had earlier stated that today being a working day it would not be convenient to hold the rally in Guwahati roads. Sarma had denied permission to the rally on the ground that it may lead to massive traffic congestion. The government had asked Congress workers to take the National Highway 27 route avoiding the major thoroughfares in the city.
However, Congess workers alleged that they were being denied permission on baseless grounds and the government was creating hurdles for the rally. They thus headed towards Guwahati from Meghalaya.
Meanwhile, Assam Police had deployed a huge contingent of forces at the Khanapara area, the city's entry point since morning and barricades were set up along the entire stretch. When the rally reached Khanapara area it was diverted by the police triggering protests from Congress workers.
Many workers clashed with police when they tried to break through the barricades. Workers alleged that the police had even resorted to lathi-charge resulting which, many of them were injured.
Criticising Assam CM for blocking their entry in Guwahati, Gandhi said that the route proposed by the Congress in the city is the same as that taken by BJP chief JP Nadda and the Bajrang Dal. "We broke the barricades but not the law. Don't think us to be weak." he said.
Addressing the policemen who stopped the rally, Gandhi said, "We know you are doing your duty. This is not your fault, But remember there must be 'nyay' (justice) not 'anyay' (injustice) in Assam. We are not against you, but against the most corrupt chief minister of Assam."
He said that the Congress workers are not afraid and would defeat the BJP-RSS. He also said that although his student interaction in Meghalaya university was cancelled, students came to meet him outside.
The development comes amid the ongoing tussle between the Himanta Biswa Sarma government and Gandhi over holding the rally in Guwahati.
Responding to the scuffle between police and Congress workers, Sarma said such culture is alien to Assam and instructions have been given to take necessary action.
Earlier, Gandhi claimed that he was not being allowed to interact with the students of a private university in Meghalaya as per instructions of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He also said that the instruction was issued to the university through the Assam chief minister's office.
Gandhi said that he wanted to come and talk to the students to understand their condition and thereby see if he could help them in anyways. "The Union Home Minister called up the Assam CM and the CMO in turn called up the university authorities instructing them to prevent Rahul Gandhi from speaking to the students here. It is not important whether Rahul Gandhi is comes or not but what's important is that the students should be allowed to listen to whosoever they want," Gandhi said.
The Congress leader also alleged that this is not a lone instance in Assam but is happening in all universities and colleges across India.
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