Assam Police transfers case pertaining to Guwahati border clashes between Bharat Jodo entourage and the police to the CID

The Assam police transferred the case registered against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Bhrata Jodo Nyay Yatra entourage over the clashes between the police and the party workers at the Guwahati border to the CID.

“Reference Basistha PS Case No. 55/24 U/S.120 (B)/143/147/188/283/353/332/333/427 IPC R/W Sec. 3 of PDPP Act relating to violation of various laws during road event of Indian National Congress at Guwahati on January 23rd 2024 has been transferred to CID Assam for a thorough and in-depth investigation through a SIT to be constituted by ADGP of CID Assam,” said GP Singh, the Assam Police Chief.

The Congress workers and the Assam police clashed with each other at the Guwahati border on Tuesday. Barricades were broken and the police had to resort to a lathi charge to disperse the crowd. Earlier on that day, the Assam Government had denied the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’s permission to pass through Guwahati, citing traffic snarls; Congress’s rally took the same route regardless. Following the clashes, the Assam CM instructed the police to file a case against Rahul Gandhi and the Congress leaders. The senior Congress leaders and the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entourage have been booked under nine sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those related to rioting, unlawful assembly and criminal conspiracy.

This comes at a time when the Congress leadership has alleged that the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is deliberately creating roadblocks in the Yatra’s way. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah asking him to ensure Rahul Gandhi and the yatra’s security.​