GUWAHATI: Assam’s United Opposition Forum (UOF) lodged an FIR against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday, alleging that he is trying to promote enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion and race.
“You might be aware that the entire Assam is erupting in anger against dastardly act of rape committed on a young lady from Dhing. Taking advantage of such heinous act, the accused person is trying to whip up communal frenzy by targeting a particular community, which had led to attack on some people belonging to religious minority in Sivasagar by BJP workers and leaders,” the UOF wrote in the FIR.
It was alleged in the FIR that one Mayur Borgohain physically assaulted some labourers working under him as part of a conspiracy to create a riot-like situation in the state. The UOF said Sarma and other BJP leaders were part of the conspiracy to create such unrest.
“Mr Sarma has a history of making provocative statements targeting a particular community…Continuing his tirade against the religious minority, the accused person on 4-8-2024 targeted a journalist named Shah Alom with obvious communal innuendos. On (a) certain question being put, the accused person referring to his religion put a counter question as to whether he would allow him and others to stay in Assam,” the FIR read.
“The belligerent nature of the accused can be gauged from the fact that in a party meeting held in recent past, he claimed himself to be a mad dog. If such a person is not arrested and restrained immediately, he can create any riot-like situation in the state to get political mileage out of it,” the UOF said.
It requested the police to register a case against Sarma and his “co-conspirators” under sections 61, 196 and 35(2) of the BNSS 2023 and investigate.
The Congress leads the 11-party UOF. All major opposition parties barring All India United Democratic Front are part of it.