Who Were the Six Detained After a Plastic Bottle Was Thrown at CM’s Convoy?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Six individuals detained after a plastic bottle was thrown at CM Sarma's convoy.
- The incident highlights ongoing political tensions in Assam.
- BJP accuses Congress of disruptive politics.
- Congress claims politically motivated detention of its members.
- Calls for a security review have been made following the incident.
Guwahati, July 1 (NationPress) Following an incident where a plastic water bottle was thrown at Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s convoy during his trip to Golaghat, police apprehended six individuals on Tuesday, including members of the Congress party. This event has ignited a political confrontation between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress.
Among those taken into custody are Pallab Chetia, the secretary of the Golaghat District Congress Committee, and Rahul Phukan, the son of a former Block Congress Secretary. Both individuals are alleged to have ties to Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi.
Golaghat MLA Biswajit Phukan (BJP) attributed the incident to the Congress’s “politics of disruption,” referring to historical events such as the Emergency and the elections of 1983. He stated, “The Chief Minister arrived with a development agenda, but Congress cannot stand his rising popularity.”
The occurrence, which was recorded on video, reveals the bottle being thrown at the convoy, yet no injuries or damages were reported.
Assam Power Minister Prasanta Phukan termed it a “serious security breach” and called for a security reassessment, alleging it was an “attempt on the Chief Minister’s life.”
The BJP organized protests in Dibrugarh to denounce the act, while Congress dismissed the accusations as politically motivated. Congress spokesperson Rituporno Konwar claimed that four Youth Congress members were “illegally detained” an hour prior to the incident during a separate protest against cattle theft. He questioned, “If they weren’t there, how could they have thrown the bottle? This is a tactic to suppress dissent.”
Sarma downplayed the incident with sarcasm, but the opposition accused the BJP of inflating the event to target Congress members. The situation has heightened scrutiny over security shortcomings and political vendettas in Assam.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Bhupen Borah condemned the attack on Himanta Biswa Sarma, stating, “It is very unfortunate that someone threw a bottle at his convoy. This act is unacceptable. Congress supports democratic protest.”
Dhubri Congress MP Rakibul Hussain shared his own experience, saying, “I was also attacked by some miscreants on the road; however, at that moment, the Chief Minister took a dig at me.”