Mallikarjun Kharge writes to Amit Shah regarding security issues faced by Rahul Gandhi in Assam

New Delhi: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has written a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the security issues faced by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in Assam.

The letter written by Kharge on Tuesday night also addressed security issues in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Assam over the past few days.

Kharge, in his letter to Amit Shah, said that on Day 1 of the Yatra's entry in Assam on January 18, 2024, the Assam Police was found protecting the posters of the BJP in Sibsagar district's Amguri instead of ensuring safe passage for the Yatra, while on Day 2, the miscreants associated with the BJP were caught defacing and taking down posters and hoardings of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra (BJNY) in Lakhimpur District.
"On the 21st of January, 2024 as the Yatra returned to Assam via Arunachal Pradesh, another outrageous attack occurred on the Yatra in Sonitpur district. The local Superintendent of Police in Sonitpur District happens to be the brother of Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma. He watched to see that BJP workers attacked and manhandled the Indian National Congress' social media team, along with our General Secretary, Jairam Ramesh. Jairam Ramesh's car was attacked while miscreants were shouting anti-BJNY slogans, tearing off the BJNY sticker on the vehicle, and attempting to throw water on the passengers inside," further read the letter.
"On the same day in Sonitpur district, the BJP's district party workers approached and blocked Rahul Gandhi's convoy. The BJP's workers then physically assaulted Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhupen Borah, resulting in him bleeding profusely," it added.
The letter further mentioned that on the next evening, BJP workers blocked Rahul Gandhi's convoy, coming extremely close to him and creating an extremely unsafe situation in Nagaon district.
The Congress President, in his letter, alleged that in all of these troubling events, the Assam Police has systematically stood by and allowed BJP workers to come closer and closer to the convoy of Rahul Gandhi, breaching his security cordon and endangering his physical security and that of his team.
"Despite all of the instances listed above and the presence of ample evidence available in the public domain, none of the miscreants have been arrested, and in many instances, investigations have not been initiated. As the risk increases and the Yatra proceeds as planned, we request your intervention to ensure that the Chief Minister of Assam and the Director General of Police, Assam, ensure that no such untoward incident takes place that may lead to grave personal injury to Rahul Gandhi or any members of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra," Kharge appealed in his letter to Amit Shah.

Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, party General Secretary KC Venugopal, National Students' Union of India All India Congress Committee Incharge Kanhaiya Kumar, and other individuals under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

"With reference to wanton acts of violence, provocation, damage to public property and assault on police personnel today by Cong members, a FIR has been registered against Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal , Kanhaiya Kumar and other individuals under section 120(B)143/147/188/283/353/332/333/427 IPC R/W Sec. 3 of PDPP Act," Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on X. (ANI)