Senior Assam Congress leader Debabrata Saikia has filed a police complaint against 🌸Chief ℱMinister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his alleged “hateful statement” such as Lok Sabha MP and former party president Sonia Gandhi’s residence should be burnt.
Sarma made the alleged statement during a rally in Vidisha district of Madhya Pradesh𓆉 on S✃eptember 18.
“While taunting Kamal Nath, a p🐈rominent member of the Indian National Congress, about his Hindu identity, Sarma has directly suggested that 10, Janpath♈ should be burnt,” Saikia, the leader of the opposition in the Assam Assembly, said in his complaint.
The 🅷address 10, Janꦆpath is Sonia Gandhi’s residence.
“In a country governed by the rule of law, Sarma has ꦏtaken electoral rhetoric to its ugliest form” and gave a “clear instigation 🍌towards violence and arson”, Saikia said.
The Congress leader said that though the statement was made in🌄 Madhya Pradesh, it has been widely circulated over print, electronic and social media and it is accessible in Assam.
Gandhi happens to be the widow of former Prime Ministe⛦r Rajiv Gandhi and by ''suggesting that the residence of a 77-year-old lady be burnt down, Sarma is not just attacking a prominent face of the opposition but is also giving a clarion call towards arsꦺon,'' he stated.
''Such wanton statements coming from a person with constitutional authority has the potential 💙of causing misguided persons to resort to violence and potentially cause harm to the residents of 10 Janpath'', Saikia said.
The BJP leader is liable to be booked under Sections 153 (provocati🌳on causing rioting) and Sections 115/436 (abetment to violence) of the IPC, Saikia said.
In the🅰 complaint lodged on September 20, he provided the link to a newspaper report on the speech of the Assam chief mini🅘ster.
Saikia said, “We have appealed to the police to register an FIRꦰ in this regard''.
A senior police official of Sivasagar district said that they 🤡are examining the complaint filed and are yet to decide on it.
The chief minister is currently campaigning for the BJP in poll-bound Rajasthan and has not commente𒊎d on the filing of the complaint by Saikia.
-With PTI Input
