Guwahati, Jan 20: The Assam Police’s decision to register an FIR against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, for his ‘fighting Indian state’ remark has ignited a fresh political controversy. The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has accused the state police of political bias, alleging it is acting as a “tool of the BJP.”
The FIR, lodged at Guwahati’s Panbazar Police Station based on a complaint by lawyer Manjit Chetia, cites sections 152 and 197(1)d of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The complaint claims that Gandhi’s statement—”The BJP and RSS have captured every single institution, and we are now fighting the BJP, the RSS, and the Indian State itself”—was intended to incite rebellion and undermine national sovereignty.
In response, APCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah strongly condemned the police’s actions, highlighting an alleged double standard. “Despite multiple FIRs filed by Congress against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his inflammatory remarks against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, the police have remained silent.
However, they swiftly acted on an FIR against Rahul ji,” Borah said addressing a press conference at his residence on Monday. Borah further questioned the selective enforcement of law, pointing to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s controversial remark that India gained independence only with the inauguration of the Ram Temple. “Is this not an insult to our freedom fighters?” he asked.
He also alleged that cases against BJP leaders, including Sarma’s alleged involvement in the Saradha chit fund scam, have been ignored by investigative agencies.
Congress leaders have dismissed the FIR as a politically motivated move to silence opposition voices.
Calling the FIR a BJP-RSS conspiracy, Borah pointed out that Section 152 of the BNS, which criminalizes provoking armed rebellion, carries severe punishment, including life imprisonment. “This is nothing but an attempt to silence the opposition,” he alleged.
Assam Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia termed the complaint a “political stunt” aimed at diverting attention from pressing governance issues.
