New Delhi | Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Home Minister Amit Shah on “security issues” faced by Rahul Gandhi during the Assam leg of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, asking him to ensure the party leader's safety.
In his letter to Shah on Tuesday night, Kharge said there have been several instances where the Assam Police has been found wanting in providing adequate security to Gandhi, who is entitled to Z+ security. Z+ is the highest level of security in India with a team of 55 armed personnel.
The letter comes after Congress leaders were booked for "wanton acts of violence" by the Assam Police. On Tuesday, Assam Police registered a case against Gandhi and other Congress leaders for instigating a crowd to launch an attack on Guwahati police.
Police on Tuesday didn't allow the Gandhi-led Yatra to enter the city, triggering protests from irate Congress workers who removed security barricades on the outskirts of the city.
Listing out the incidents during which security issues were faced by Gandhi, Kharge said on the first day of the Yatra in the state, Assam Police was found protecting the posters of the BJP in Amguri, Sibsagar district instead of ensuring safe passage for the Yatra.
The next day, “miscreants associated with the BJP” were caught defacing and taking down posters and hoardings of the Yatra in Lakhimpur district, he said.
Later, when the Yatra returned from Arunachal Pradesh, there was “another outrageous attack” on the Yatra in Sonitpur district, where the local Superintendent of Police happens to be the brother of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Kharge said.
"He watched to see that BJP workers attacked and manhandled the Indian National Congress Social Media team, along with our General Secretary Shri. Jairam Ramesh. Shri Ramesh's car was attacked, while miscreants shouting anti-BJNY (Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra) slogans, tearing off the BJNY sticker on the vehicle, and attempting to throw water on the passengers inside,” the Congress chief said.
"On the same day in Sonitpur district, the BJP's district party workers approached and blocked Shri. Rahul Gandhi's convoy. The BJP's workers then physically assaulted the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President Shri.Bhupen Borah, resulting in him bleeding profusely," he said.
On January 22, in Nagaon district, BJP workers blocked Gandhi's convoy, coming extremely close to him, and creating an extremely unsafe situation, Kharge alleged.
"In all of the troubling events mentioned above, the Assam Police has systematically stood by and/or allowed BJP workers to come closer and closer to the convoy of Shri. Rahul Gandhi, breaching his security cordon, and endangering his physical security and that of his team," Kharge said.
The Congress chief said none of the miscreants have been arrested even when there was ample evidence for all listed incidents, and added that in many instances investigation has not been initiated.
"As the risk increases, and as 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 which may lead to grave personal injury to Shri. Rahul Gandhi or any members of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra," he said in his letter to Shah.
Sharing Kharge's letter, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X, "Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge ji wrote to the Union Home Minister last night on the serious security issues faced by @RahulGandhi and the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Assam over the past few days".
The police case against Gandhi came after Sarma instructed Director General of Police G P Singh to register a case against the Congress leader for "provoking the crowd".
The bitter political duel between Sarma, once a staunch Congressman, and Gandhi, was out in the open with both leaders firing salvos at each other and the Congress blaming the state government for deliberately hindering its ex-chief's yatra.
Sarma had quit the Congress in 2015, blaming Rahul Gandhi for his exit. The two have since clashed on many issues.
The Yatra would be in Assam till Thursday.
